West Bengal’s budget 2026-27 has opened with a heavy emphasis on employment, welfare and infrastructure, as the state government sought to project a more expansive growth story in its first full budget.
Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta announced one lakh government jobs, a 33% quota for women in government recruitment and a 20% hike in dearness allowance for employees, taking the total DA to 38%. The budget also placed major bets on a new airport near Kolkata, a deep-sea port in Purba Medinipur and industrial incentives worth ₹5,000 crore, with priority for employment-generative industries.
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A generous purse, by all accounts
The spending plan also pushed welfare sharply to the fore. The budget set aside ₹36,000 crore for the Annapurna Yojana and ₹550 crore for the all-women free bus service and proposed support for gig workers, while also promising an increase in MGNREGA work from 100 days to 125 days and a hike in the MLA development fund from ₹70 lakh to ₹1 crore. The government said the total budget size stood at ₹4.38 lakh crore.
Education and social sector spending received a visible share of the allocations as well. The Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department got the highest allocation at ₹52,308.50 crore, followed by the Panchayats and Rural Development Department at ₹51,836.55 crore and the School Education Department at ₹44,948.21 crore. The budget also proposed ₹30,000 in financial assistance for students of government and government-aided colleges, along with a one-time support of ₹50,000 for unmarried girl students in such institutions.
Industry spies a larger design
Against this backdrop, Ambuja Neotia Group chairman Harshavardhan Neotia welcomed the budget’s overall direction, saying it could help broaden West Bengal’s growth base beyond the state’s traditional economic centres.
In a statement shared after the budget announcement, he said the most encouraging part was the way the document linked different sectors together. “What is particularly encouraging about this budget is that it looks at growth as an ecosystem rather than a collection of individual initiatives,” Neotia told News Ei Samay.
He pointed to regional connectivity, new airports and infrastructure as measures that could strengthen links between districts and markets. He also flagged the focus on education and healthcare capacity, proposed industrial development initiatives and employment generation as a combination that could expand activity beyond the usual hubs.
“Investments in regional connectivity through new airports and infrastructure, the focus on education and healthcare capacity, the proposed industrial development initiatives, and the emphasis on employment generation together have the potential to expand economic activity well beyond the traditional growth centres of the state,” he said.
Now comes the matter of delivery
Neotia added that the real test would lie in execution. “If implemented effectively, these measures can help unlock new aspirations, attract investment and create a broader growth narrative for West Bengal,” he said.
The budget has also been framed around a wider industrial pitch. Dasgupta said incentives to industry had returned with an allocation of ₹5,000 crore, while the government signalled plans for a second airport near Kolkata to ease congestion at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport and support the regional economy.
The administration also said it wanted to revive the Calcutta Stock Exchange, describing the move as one that could improve access to capital and create new jobs.
With the budget now on the table, the focus will shift to whether the promised mix of welfare spending, infrastructure expansion and industry support can translate into visible economic gains across the state. The government’s challenge will be to convert the wide-ranging announcements into projects that move beyond paper and begin to reshape the state’s growth map.
Also Read | West Bengal Budget 2026: DA hiked by 20%, ₹36,000 crore Annapurna scheme announced
FAQs
Q1: What are the key announcements in the West Bengal Budget 2026-27?
Ans: The budget proposes one lakh government jobs, a 20% DA hike, major welfare spending and new infrastructure projects, including an airport and deep-sea port.
Q2: Why did Harshavardhan Neotia welcome the West Bengal Budget 2026-27?
Ans: He said the budget's focus on connectivity, industry, education, healthcare and jobs could help attract investment and expand economic growth across the state.
