West Bengal unveils Investment Promotion Policy 2026 to boost jobs
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a ₹5,000 crore fund to provide incentives for manufacturing and service sectors.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday unveiled the West Bengal Investment Promotion Policy 2026, aimed at accelerating industrialisation and employment generation. According to reports by Urban Acres, Business Standard and Moneycontrol, the policy applies to industries established or expanded since the BJP government took office on May 9, 2026.
The framework includes a dedicated, non-lapsable fund of ₹5,000 crore for incentives. This corpus will be built through budgetary allocations, and any funds not used by the end of a financial year will remain available for future use rather than returning to the exchequer.
Under the new rules, units in thrust sectors located in priority areas can receive up to 120 per cent assistance for investments in plant and machinery. Regular units are capped at 100 per cent, while units in thrust sectors receive up to 110 per cent. These benefits may be disbursed over 10 years.
The policy covers manufacturing and service sectors, including MSMEs, large units, and not-for-profit institutions. Identified thrust sectors include semiconductors, electric vehicles, green hydrogen, defence, and shipbuilding. Service sectors such as healthcare, IT, and education are also included.
Chief Minister Adhikari noted that the previous government had removed the word 'incentive' from the state's industrial policy. He stated that the new policy reintroduces it with the ₹5,000 crore provision.
The policy does not cover an estimated ₹50,000 crore backlog of past dues. Adhikari said the state cannot repay these arrears given its current fiscal position and may only consider them once Bengal becomes fiscally surplus.