Suvendu seeks Canadian investment for Kalyani airport project
Times of India | 30 June 2026
Kolkata: CM Suvendu Adhikari sought Canadian investment for the proposed second airport near Kalyani, announced in the recent state budget, during a meeting with Canadian High Commissioner Chris Cooter at Nabanna on Monday.
Cooter told TOI the meeting covered a range of investment opportunities. “The CM mentioned the new airport project and Canadian investors may look into it,” he said.
Canadian infrastructure investors have a track record in Indian airport projects — Fairfax, for instance, is the largest investor in Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, one of the company’s most significant infrastructure bets globally.
Cooter said major investors such as Fairfax and Brookfield, along with several pension funds, may be interested in Bengal.
The proposed greenfield airport at Kalyani is planned under the PPP model, with the state in the process of identifying 1,000 acres for the project. Beyond aviation, Cooter said Canadian companies could also look at other infrastructure opportunities in the state, including ports, roads, renewable energy, IT and defence.
Over 600 Canadian companies currently operate in India across technology, finance, infrastructure and renewable energy. Several — including CGI, Kinaxis and OpenText — maintain significant delivery and development centres in the country, while McCain Foods runs major processing and manufacturing plants serving both domestic and international markets.
Cooter said Canada has invested $109 billion in India to date, with $1 billion invested in the past week alone. “More than 75% of Canadian investments here are in physical assets and not in stocks or bonds,” he said, adding that a large Canadian trade delegation is expected to visit India in Oct, with some members likely to visit Bengal.