Apart from promoting the city as a tourist destination, John Stuttard has assured help from UK-based financial institutions to revive the stock exchange.
KOLKATA: UK-based financial institutions could soon help revive the Calcutta Stock Exchange, which is void of volumes and investor interest ever since some of its broker members names cropped up in scams early this decade.
"Among the three major points discussed with (West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb) Bhattacharjee, the issue of rejuvenating the CSE came up at the meeting," Lord Mayor of the city of London John Stuttard said.
"If Bhattacharjee asks, our financial institutions will be keen to participate in revival of CSE and the UK can help in making Kolkata a financial hub.
"But, for that it requires the right framework and to allow foreign brokers to operate," he said on the eve of the visit of a large business delegation to promote UK trade and business in India.
CSE has also lost out to leading bourses such as Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange, whom the regional exchange had earlier engaged in talks for a trading platform.
Stuttard also said that UK were keen to promote the city as a heritage tourist destination.
An MoU would also be shortly signed between University of Leeds and Indian Institute of Management for business and education, he added.
Stuttard, who is also the ambassador of London financial institutions, said that winds of change were blowing in Kolkata and it was the right time for investors to look at the east. As of now Mumbai and Delhi had got the attention.
The Lord Mayor also offered to extend technical know-how for preservation and maintenance of old buildings and other structures in Kolkata, a city which flourished during the Raj.
Kolkata mayor Bikash Bhattacharya welcomed the offer saying, "the technical assistance will be of great help in preserving the heritage buildings in the city".
Stuttard said that the city with its colonial buildings has a great potential for heritage tourism.
Buildings of the Raj era which were in bad shape could be renovated and restaurants, malls and entertainment centres could be opened there keeping the facade of the buildings intact, he said.
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