West Bengal Tops in Small Industries, Announces New Industrial and Marketing Infrastructure Plans

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, May 15, 2025, Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced significant developments in the state’s industrial landscape, highlighting the state’s top position in the country for small-scale industries. Speaking from Kolkata, she stated that 140 lakh individuals are currently employed in 90 lakh small industrial units across the state. The Chief Minister emphasized the state’s leadership in the sector, noting that 660 industrial clusters already exist, and more are in demand. She underlined the state’s methodical approach to approving new units by ensuring proper land verification and multi-level clearances before granting permissions.

In a major move aimed at supporting small entrepreneurs and self-help groups, the Chief Minister unveiled a plan to construct 23 shopping complexes across the 23 districts of West Bengal. These hubs are intended to promote local products and facilitate better market access. Each complex will be constructed by private entities on one acre of land provided free of cost by the state government. In return, two floors in each complex will be reserved exclusively for self-help groups, also at no cost. Land clearances for these projects have already been granted in 11 districts, including Purulia, Darjeeling, Bankura, Cooch Behar, Howrah, Jalpaiguri, Jhargram, Murshidabad, West Midnapore, and Uttar Dinajpur. The process for clearance in the remaining 12 districts is underway.

The Chief Minister also announced the allocation of 10 industrial plots to prominent companies in key locations including Raghunathpur (Purulia), Mankar (Durgapur), and Panagarh (Burdwan). These plots, covering a total of 2,515 acres, are expected to attract investments worth approximately ₹25,000 crore. She projected that the resulting projects—many in the steel sector—will create over 70,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Furthermore, the state government has expanded its support for micro and small enterprises, allocating land to 43 such units across 15 industrial estates following a recent cabinet decision. These units will be distributed across various districts, contributing to decentralized industrial growth. According to the Chief Minister, “All these will be in different districts. In this case, there will be an investment of hundreds of crores of taka and employment will be created in every district.