West Bengal wants to bring in fresh investments worth about ₹1 lakh crore over the next few months.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said this while launching a new policy in Kolkata on November 5.
The policy is called the West Bengal Investment Promotion Policy, 2026. Indian Masterminds reported on the launch.
Key points
- The state aims to attract about ₹1 lakh crore in new investment.
- The policy offers financial help, faster approvals and better land access.
- Older industrial incentives worth about ₹50,000 crore are still pending.
- A ₹5,000 crore fund will support fresh industrial incentives.
What does the new policy offer to investors?
The policy gives financial help to eligible industrial investments.
Businesses in priority areas and thrust sectors can get higher incentives.
The government says the goal is to speed up industry and create jobs.
It also promises streamlined approvals and time-bound clearances.
The policy applies to investments made on or after May 9, 2026. That is the day the BJP government took office in the state.
How will the government get land for projects?
Adhikari said land can come from direct purchases, land pooling, existing industrial parks and unused industrial plots.
He ruled out forcible land acquisition. He said the government will talk directly with landowners.
"Decisions will be taken through discussions, not by force," he said.
The state is also exploring money from HUDCO, NABARD and the Asian Development Bank to help buy land.
He also said the government had arranged land for 33 business groups.
So why is the old backlog a concern?
Alongside the new push, the state faces an estimated ₹50,000 crore backlog.
These are incentives promised under previous policies.
Adhikari said the state cannot clear this amount right now. He pointed to its debt of about ₹8 lakh crore.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
He said the government will address the backlog once the state's finances improve.
He cited Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu as examples of stronger state finances.
Explainer
What happened before
- The BJP government assumed office in West Bengal on May 9, 2026.
- Earlier policies promised industrial incentives, and the state now faces an estimated ₹50,000 crore backlog of those payments.
- The state's debt burden is approximately ₹8 lakh crore, which Adhikari cited as the reason it cannot clear the backlog yet.
Why it matters
The state is trying to attract factories and jobs, but it has not yet paid old promises to industry. Investors and workers both have a stake in how this plays out.
