Kolkata, Aug 21 - In a bid to shed her anti-industry image ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections two years from now, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee met industry captains Friday and invited them to partner the railways in commercial ventures.

Singur, Nandigram seemed passe, as leading industrialists of the state vied with one another in showering praises on the railways minister for initiating various development activities after taking over the crucial portfolio.

From RPG Entreprises vice-chairman Sanjiv Goenka to Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) eastern region president C.K. Dhanuka, almost the entire who's who of West Bengal's industry were present during the over two-hour candid open session with Banerjee.

The meeting signalled virtually a complete change of script a year after Banerjee had started a sit-in before the Nano plant in Singur against forcible acquisition of farmland for the project.

Banerjee on her part seemed in great spirits as she extended an open invitation to industrial honchos to join the railways in public-private partnership projects and later took questions and suggestions from individual entrepreneurs during the over two-hour interaction.

'It's a very proud moment for me. A very historical moment also. I am honoured to meet all of you,' Banerjee said in her opening remarks.

'I know what you want. I see all the smiling faces. For development, industry must smile also. We want enrichment of human capital. We want service with a smile, a human face. Human capital is flowing. We have to utilise it to set up big industrial hubs,' said the Trinamool Congress chief, who laid stress on small-scale, agro-based, medium and big industries.

'We want to see you submit your intent to partner Indian Railways in this important session,' the minister repeatedly said, while announcing she would meet the industrialists every three months.