Bengal''s New Industrial Policy: Land Strategy Shift, Growth

Kolkata, Jul 18 (PTI) West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said on Saturday that the state will unveil its new industrial policy on Independence Day, signalling the BJP government's push to revive manufacturing through a sharper investment strategy and a departure from the erstwhile TMC dispensation's hands-off land acquisition policy for industries.

Addressing a capital markets conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Eastern Region, Dasgupta highlighted the need for a comprehensive land policy and stressed the importance of reusing land belonging to idle factories.

He also added that emphasis will be given to providing fiscal incentives for the industry.

In a separate event organised by the same business body and advocacy group, CII Manufacturing Conclave East, Industries Minister Tapas Roy echoed Dasgupta's contention, stating that the government is working on a comprehensive roadmap for industrial growth in the state.

"The Bengal government is committed to creating an industry-friendly ecosystem and is working on a comprehensive roadmap to accelerate industrial growth across the state. The objective is to position West Bengal as a leading industrial destination by 2027 through a transparent and modern industrial policy, supported by investor-centric reforms," Roy said.

The new industrial policy, he said, will incorporate a streamlined single-window clearance mechanism, line-based approvals, GIS-enabled land banks, a clear incentive framework, cluster-based industrial development, strengthened logistics infrastructure, and rationalised approval processes.

"A transparent industrial policy has been prepared, and the government expects to announce the next phase of its industrial roadmap by August," he said.

Roy said that the state is also focusing on developing a robust Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem, while a dedicated Startup Policy is expected to be unveiled soon.

"An expert committee is being constituted to simplify compliance requirements and further enhance the ease of doing business in the state. The government's focus extends beyond attracting investments to creating quality employment opportunities and ensuring inclusive economic growth," he added.

The industry minister also emphasised that employment generation features in the state's highest priorities.

"The government stands firmly with industry and remains committed to providing all necessary support to facilitate investment, expansion, and sustainable growth," he said.


Dasgupta, on the other hand, pointed to the "abundant pool of human resources and skilled manpower" in Bengal.

"Due to the lack of adequate employment opportunities within the state, many skilled individuals are compelled to migrate elsewhere in search of work, effectively becoming economic refugees," he said, underscoring the need to create a conducive ecosystem for investors to generate employment and retain talent within the state.

Speaking at a ground-breaking ceremony at the Shyam Steel Group's proposed expansion of its facility in Bankura district on Friday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had said that the government will tie its fiscal support to industries for job creation.

"Our incentives will depend not on how much you invest, but on how many jobs you create," he had declared.

The chequered history of politics around Bengal's industrial policy is centred on land, especially after Mamata Banerjee's ascent to power in 2011, piggybacking on the anti-land grab agitations in Singur and Nandigram.

The BJP has argued that the previous TMC government relied too heavily on state-owned land banks and avoided any framework that could allow fresh acquisition of private land for large industries after the Singur controversy, and said that approach limited the scale of manufacturing projects because contiguous parcels of land were often unavailable.

The newly elected Suvendu Adhikari dispensation's proposed policy seeks to move beyond this model by allowing negotiated purchases directly from landowners, supported by faster approvals and better compensation and rehabilitation.

The government has also announced plans to scrap the Urban Land Ceiling Act, calling it another barrier to industrial expansion, and has promised firm legal protection against extortion and disruption around industrial projects to improve investor confidence by enacting anti-Goonda laws.

The political divide reflects two competing readings of Bengal's industrial history.

The TMC built its post-Singur identity around the promise that fertile farmland would not be acquired forcibly for industry, preferring industrial parks, land banks and brownfield sites.

The BJP, on the other hand, plans to position its industrial policy as one that balances farmers' consent with the state's need for manufacturing-led growth, arguing that transparent market-based land transactions can avoid the mistakes of the past while attracting larger investments.

The debate is therefore not about whether industry should expand, but about who should lead the land assembly process, how farmers should be compensated, and whether Bengal can rebuild investor confidence in the aftermath of Tata Motors' pullout from Singur, observers say.