The West Bengal Industrial Policy, which was delayed beyond its initial deadline of August-end, is likely to be a Diwali bonanza for the state. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari made the announcement on Wednesday in Haldia while unveiling the ₹6,000-crore phenol-acetone plant of Haldia Petrochemicals Limited.
“A group of ministers have already submitted the industrial policy, which will include incentives, land policy and power tariffs. We are now working on it and will place the new industrial policy before you ahead of Diwali,” said Adhikari.
West Bengal has lacked an industrial policy since 2025, leaving industrialists without clear direction to plan and conduct business in the state. This has also been a hindrance to attracting new industries, with the state perceived as lagging behind other states as a destination for serious business.
The Chief Minister blamed trade unionism during the 34-year rule of the Left Front for the closure of industries in the state. “We will not do two things. During the 34-year Left Front rule, there were trade unions, strikes and the shutting down of industries, as well as physical assaults on management. Because of this, more than 50,000 industries shut down during that time,” Adhikari said.
He also referred to the 15-year rule of the erstwhile Trinamool Congress (TMC) government under former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying in the last 15 years, there was the worst land policy and incentives were withdrawn. Due to the syndicate raj, no industry came to West Bengal.
Adhikari, however, said the arrival of new industries during the BJP’s first five months in power showed that the state had the potential to emerge as an industrial and investment destination within a year. “We want to come out of 34 years and 15 years and build a pro-people and pro-industry government and a business-friendly industrial environment. We shall overcome,” said Adhikari.
On August 11, industrialists and representatives of business chambers attended a nearly three-hour meeting at the state secretariat, Nabanna, with government representatives to offer suggestions on the new industrial policy.
Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal, Commerce and Industries Minister Tapas Roy, and Labour and Transport Minister Arjun Singh were among those who participated in the meeting. Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta and Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh also joined the deliberations briefly.
Industrialists remain confident about the new BJP government’s assurances and the actions taken on the ground over the past five months, despite the delay in making the new industrial policy public.
The much-awaited industrial policy is expected to provide the much-needed impetus for investors to take forward their business plans in the state.
