Kolkata: West Bengal is exploring a new model for developing industrial parks under which government-owned land parcels could be offered to industry associations and chambers of commerce for setting up product-specific or sector-specific industrial hubs.
The proposal is aimed at attracting investments without requiring the state government to develop every industrial park on its own. Subrata Gupta, adviser to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, said the government is open to the idea while speaking at the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Indo-Pacific Economic Conclave.
Under the proposed approach, industry bodies would identify their requirements and could develop parks around particular products or sectors, while the government would facilitate the process.
Industry Bodies Could Take the Lead
The proposed model would give industry associations and chambers a larger role in creating industrial infrastructure.
Gupta said the government is considering using land parcels already in its possession for such projects instead of undertaking the development of every industrial park itself. The idea is to match available land with the requirements of specific industries and encourage private-sector participation in building specialised industrial clusters.
The proposal is part of a wider effort by West Bengal to make industrial land more accessible and create an ecosystem that can support new investments.
The government has also been examining changes to its land framework, including land pooling and time-bound clearances for individuals and companies seeking to hold land beyond existing ceilings.
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Bengal Already Has Over 100 Industrial Zones
West Bengal’s industrial infrastructure is currently supported by several state-run agencies and government departments.
These include the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIDCL) and West Bengal Small Industries Development Corporation (WBSIDCL), along with departments dealing with areas such as food processing, information technology, MSME and textiles.
Together, the state has more than 100 industrial zones covering a wide range of sectors. These include textiles, manufacturing, food processing and information technology, as well as gems and jewellery, chemicals, iron and steel and plastics.
The existing industrial landscape also includes private developers, particularly in logistics, warehousing and light-engineering clusters.
The proposed industry-led model could therefore add another layer to Bengal’s industrial infrastructure by allowing specialised organisations to develop parks around the needs of particular sectors.
Private Industrial Park Model Already Underway
The state has previously encouraged private developers to establish industrial parks on private land through the Scheme for Approved Industrial Parks.
According to the report, around a dozen proposals under the scheme have already been approved, while several other projects are at different stages of the approval process.
The proposed government-land model would be different in that industry associations and chambers could potentially develop sector-specific parks using land made available by the state.
This could allow industries with similar infrastructure and supply-chain requirements to operate closer to one another, although the exact structure, selection process and terms for such land parcels are yet to be finalised.
Defence Manufacturing Also in Focus
The state is also considering the possibility of developing a defence-focused industrial park.
Gupta pointed to recent land allotments for defence-related manufacturing units as an example of the emerging industrial focus. He said that land parcels had recently been handed over to different units, including at least two involved in the manufacture of detonators and shells.
One such unit is located in Purulia on around 200 acres, according to Gupta.
Separately, West Bengal recently allotted around 256 acres at the Jangal Sundari Karmanagari Phase II Industrial Park in Raghunathpur, Purulia, to Jupiter Defence for an integrated defence manufacturing facility.
These developments indicate the wider role that specialised industrial infrastructure could play in the state’s investment plans.
Land Policy Changes Being Considered
The industrial park proposal comes alongside a broader review of Bengal’s land framework.
The state is examining options such as land pooling and time-bound relaxation or clearances for industrial and other critical projects involving land holdings beyond existing ceilings. Recent reporting said the government is considering a time-bound approach rather than removing the land-ceiling provision altogether.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has also said that the state plans to introduce a new industrial land policy covering areas such as land pooling, direct purchase and a single-window system for investments. The government has said the policy is intended to simplify the process of acquiring and developing land for industry.
What the New Model Could Mean for Industry
If the proposed model takes shape, industry associations could have a more direct role in determining the infrastructure required for specialised clusters.
For example, a sector-specific park could be planned around common requirements such as production facilities, logistics, warehousing, testing infrastructure and supporting services. The exact facilities, however, would depend on the sector and the terms under which land is made available.
For the government, the approach could reduce the need to independently plan and develop every specialised industrial park while allowing industry bodies to bring sector-specific knowledge and investment into the process.
For businesses, access to appropriately located industrial land remains a key consideration when planning large manufacturing or processing projects.
Bengal’s Wider Investment Push
The proposed industrial park model forms part of a broader effort by the new West Bengal government to attract investment and streamline industrial land availability.
The state has recently announced plans for a new industrial policy, with the government saying it will include measures related to land, incentives and single-window clearances. The policy is expected to cover mechanisms such as land pooling and direct purchase.
At the same time, recent land allotments to industrial projects show that the government is seeking to move beyond policy discussions towards project-level facilitation.
The sector-specific park proposal, if implemented, could give this effort a more organised structure by allowing industry bodies to participate in developing specialised industrial hubs.
For Bengal, the larger objective is to make industrial land and infrastructure more responsive to investor requirements while using existing government land more strategically. The success of the model will ultimately depend on how the state structures land allotment, approvals, infrastructure responsibilities and safeguards under the new framework.
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