ArcelorMittal to set up R&D centre in Kolkata

ArcelorMittal has approached the West Bengal government for land at Rajarhat near the Kolkata for setting up its research and development centre.

Even as the failure of the Nano project put a question mark on West Bengal’s investor-friendly climate, world’s largest steel producer ArcelorMittal has approached the West Bengal government for land at Rajarhat near the Kolkata for setting up its research and development centre.

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“ArcelorMittal is keen to set up a central office in Rajarhat, for which it has sought land from the state government,” said Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. He also said that other companies such as Airtel and ICICI Bank have also approached the government for land in the same area.

Mittal is in the process of setting up greenfield plants in Orissa and Jharkhand and the R&D centre would be a global hub for design and engineering.

“The centre would be a global hub for design and engineering and shared services and in the final stage it will have 300 engineers working in it,” said Vijay Bhatnagar, CEO, ArcelorMittal India. It will take up consultancy jobs and cater to needs of ArcelorMittal plants in 27 countries around the world.

A host of industries coming up in the area on the outskirts of Kolkata has led to land prices moving upwards to an asking rate of Rs 7 crore per acre.