New Delhi, August 19, 2026: The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Research Bureau has released its report “West Bengal: Mapping Agriculture and Industrial Investment Opportunities”, which assesses the State’s economic structure, factor endowments, agriculture, infrastructure, industrial ecosystem, export potential and sector-specific investment opportunities.
“The report concludes that West Bengal has a substantial base for accelerating industrialization and investment. It identifies the key opportunity as converting the State’s existing natural, human, industrial and logistical advantages into integrated, investment-ready manufacturing and export clusters said Mr. Rajeev Juneja, President, PHDCCI”.
Economic base provides scope for deeper manufacturing
According to the report, West Bengal’s GSDP increased from ₹6.10 lakh crore in FY2015-16 to ₹9.42 lakh crore in FY2024-25, representing a CAGR of about 4.95%, while GSVA grew at approximately 5.26% CAGR.
The report notes that services accounted for an average of about 42% of GSVA, while industry contributed about 23% during FY2015-16 to FY2024-25. It therefore identifies scope to deepen manufacturing while leveraging the State’s expanding services, knowledge and human-capital base.
Human capital is a major comparative advantage
West Bengal has a substantial educational and technical ecosystem, including IIT Kharagpur, ISI Kolkata, IIM Calcutta, IIEST Shibpur and Jadavpur University, along with a broad network of higher-education institutions. The report notes that literacy was about 85% in 2024-25.
However, the report also identifies a skills–industry mismatch. Unemployment among diploma holders and graduates remained relatively high, while employment growth in professional, scientific and technical activities was slower. It suggests that expansion in precision engineering, electronics, advanced manufacturing, R&D and technical services could strengthen employment absorption and labour productivity.
Investment-ready industrial land emerges as a critical priority
The report emphasises that the challenge is not simply the aggregate availability of industrial land, but the availability of large, contiguous, legally clear and infrastructure-ready parcels. It proposes a 5,000–10,000 acre rolling investment-ready industrial land pipeline, including 2,000–4,000 acres for anchor industries and 3,000–6,000 acres for MSMEs and supporting industries, along with dedicated parcels ranging from 50 acres to more than 500 acres.
The report proposes a Mega Industrial Parcel Programme targeting 32–47 large parcels and a Land Readiness/IRIP Score covering title clarity, land size, land use, roads, power, water, logistics, environmental suitability and development cost he said.
Infrastructure creates a platform for industrial expansion
The report highlights significant ongoing Central Government infrastructure investment in West Bengal. As of April 2026, 82 ongoing central-sector infrastructure projects in the State had a revised cost of approximately ₹1.47 lakh crore.
These projects span railways, roads, power, ports and inland waterways, coal, oil and gas and related infrastructure. The report identifies an opportunity to integrate infrastructure development with industrial policy, particularly around the Kolkata–Haldia–Durgapur–
Value-chain deepening is central to the industrial strategy
The report identifies opportunities across automotive and components, chemicals, engineering, foundry, leather, power and energy, mining, maritime, rubber, solar, tea and textiles, alongside PLI-linked ecosystems covering electronics, pharmaceuticals, specialty steel, PV modules/ACCs, food processing and textiles.
The report’s common strategic theme is value-chain deepening rather than simply increasing production capacity. The report proposes a West Bengal Precision Manufacturing Mission focused on technology upgrading, common facilities, international certification, OEM–MSME supplier development, machinery finance and export development.
Howrah–Durgapur–Kharagpur identified as an advanced engineering corridor
The State’s traditional engineering base is identified as an important starting advantage. The report notes the substantial foundry ecosystem in Howrah and complementary capabilities in Durgapur, Kharagpur and Kalyani covering heavy engineering, machinery, research, precision manufacturing and industrial infrastructure.
The recommended focus includes precision components, railway components, automotive components, industrial machinery, aerospace and defence components, rather than immediately attempting to attract large OEMs across every segment.
Electronics and ESDM offer an opportunity to establish an Eastern India hub
The report proposes positioning West Bengal as “Eastern India’s Integrated Electronics & ESDM Hub”, building on Kolkata’s engineering and knowledge ecosystem, existing electronics manufacturing clusters at Naihati and Falta, technical institutions, ports and access to eastern and northeastern markets. The objective is to integrate West Bengal into national and global electronics value chains rather than focusing solely on assembly.
Renewable energy can support both energy transition and manufacturing
The report identifies substantial underutilised renewable-energy potential. Solar installed capacity increased from about 180 MW in 2023 to 321 MW in 2025, while estimated wind potential at a 150-metre hub height is about 1,281 MW, despite no installed wind capacity reported in the assessment.
The report links renewable-energy development with manufacturing opportunities in solar PV modules, battery materials and cells, battery packs and storage systems, solar mounting structures, electrical equipment and renewable-energy components, with differentiated clusters proposed at Haldia, Kharagpur, Durgapur and Howrah.
Maritime and shipbuilding could create a new industrial ecosystem
The report identifies West Bengal’s ports, inland waterways and engineering capabilities as a basis for developing a larger maritime manufacturing ecosystem encompassing shipbuilding, ship repair, marine equipment, steel fabrication, engineering suppliers, logistics and maritime services.
The report estimates an indicative investment requirement of ₹20,800–34,500 crore, with potential long-term annual shipbuilding output of ₹25,000–40,000 crore, 50,000–70,000 direct jobs and 150,000–250,000 indirect jobs.
Agriculture needs to be integrated with processing and logistics
The report identifies West Bengal’s agricultural diversity, multiple agro-climatic zones, fertile soils, water availability and broad crop base as an industrial input advantage.
It identifies opportunities beyond primary agricultural production in food processing, cold chains, warehousing, packaging, value-added agricultural products and export–oriented agro-processing, with particular relevance to connecting agricultural districts with industrial parks and logistics centres.
The report also identifies significant potential in rice-fallow utilisation for pulses, including lentil, chickpea, field pea, lathyrus and green gram. Investment opportunities include seed production, dal milling, pulse processing, contract farming, warehousing, food processing and export logistics.
Eastern gateway strategy can strengthen exports
The report notes that around 50% of West Bengal’s industrial exports go to Asian countries, with East Asia and ASEAN accounting for approximately 39% of total exports.
It therefore supports using West Bengal’s geographic position as an eastern gateway for exports to Bangladesh, ASEAN, East Asia and the wider Indian Ocean region, particularly for engineering products, processed agricultural goods, textiles, chemicals, electronics and maritime products.
Strategic direction
The report’s central proposition is that West Bengal should shift from an investment strategy based primarily on individual projects and existing industrial estates towards an integrated, cluster–based manufacturing strategy.
It identifies the State’s competitive proposition as the combination of human capital, engineering heritage, industrial MSMEs, ports and multimodal connectivity, eastern India market access, research institutions and agricultural resources.
The principal policy task identified by the report is to convert these endowments into investment-ready land, common industrial infrastructure, globally compliant suppliers, skilled manpower, technology-upgraded MSMEs and export–oriented value chains.
The report identifies the most important near-to-medium-term opportunities as precision engineering and components, electronics/ESDM, chemicals and specialty manufacturing, renewable-energy equipment and storage, food processing, automotive/railway components and maritime manufacturing, supported by infrastructure, industrial land and export facilitation said Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, SG &CEO, PHDCCI.