SRK to bring back industrialisation in Bengal

Kolkata: Bollywood `baadshah` Shah Rukh Khan has been roped in as the brand ambassador of West Bengal to promote the state and attract industrialists to invest here.

"SRK will be the face of Bengal all over the country and even abroad. He will promote the state to bring in industrialisation and spur all-round growth," CMO sources told reporters today. A positive and vibrant image of the state will be created through a series of campaigns and advertisements fronted by the 46-year-old actor, the sources said. By focusing on the uniqueness and rich legacy of the state, services of the `Don` star will be used to build `Brand Bengal` in various sectors including industry, sports, tourism, art and culture. "We are discussing things at a preliminary level at present. We will soon come up with a detailed plan," CM`s press adviser Rhitobrata Bhattacharya said. Even though cash-strapped, the state government has been trying hard through a series of initiatives to rope in industrial investment. "West Bengal is my second home," Khan had proudly written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while accepting her proposal to become brand ambassador of the state recently. Ever since Shah Rukh bought the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders in 2008, he has been taking special interest in the metropolis and never misses any opportunity to fly down here. He is already a brand ambassador to a number of Kolkata-based companies like Emami and Concast Group. During the inaugural function of the 17th Kolkata Film Festival here on November 10 last year, the chief minister had requested the superstar during a tete-e-tete to be the face of West Bengal, to which he had immediately agreed. SRK had addressed Banerjee as `Didi`, who reciprocated with a smile and called him her brother. The trend of having celebrities as brand ambassadors of states has caught up in the last few years. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has lent his support for the promotion and development of Gujarat, while Aamir Khan is promoting Indian tourism through his `Incredible India` campaign. PTI