West Bengal’s 2026-27 budget, presented on Monday, has drawn a warm response from the Indian Chamber of Commerce, which said the package could strengthen both social welfare and industrial activity in the state.
The budget, the first full financial statement of the BJP government in West Bengal, combined a 20 percentage point hike in dearness allowance, one lakh government jobs, a Rs 36,000 crore allocation for the Annapurna Yojana, and a wide infrastructure push that included a deep-sea port, a new airport plan near Kolkata, and an artificial intelligence mission.
Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said the government inherited a debt burden of Rs 8.15 lakh crore but would focus on fiscal discipline while continuing welfare programs.
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Of land, reform and fresh ambition
The ICC said the budget contained several announcements for social welfare, education, health, women-focused initiatives, and unemployment support and argued that these measures could support demand generation at the grassroots.
Dr. Rajeev Singh, director general of the chamber, told News Ei Samay the package would “go a long way in ensuring development at the grassroots level” and help demand in the economy.
He also described the state’s push for digitization of land records and a review of the Urban Land Ceiling Act as important for investors, calling land one of the major pain points for industry. The chamber further welcomed the proposed West Bengal AI Impact Mission as a progressive step.
JIS Group welcomes higher education spending
Education-focused industry voices also backed the budget’s emphasis on learning and skilling. Sardar Taranjit Singh, Managing Director of JIS Group, told News Ei Samay, “The West Bengal budget’s continued emphasis on education is a welcome move. Higher outlays for school infrastructure, digital classrooms, and skill development programs will directly improve learning outcomes and employability for students across the state. At JIS Group, we see this as a strong step toward building a future-ready education ecosystem in Bengal.”
A sturdy wager on growth
The chamber said it was particularly encouraged by the proposed deep-sea port at Dadanpatrabarh in Purba Medinipur, along with greenfield airports at Purulia, Malda, Cooch Behar, and Kalyani. It also welcomed the plan for private investment in industrial development through the PPP model, with incentives for textiles, green energy, and semiconductors.
On the rural side, the ICC pointed to support for crop insurance, cold storage, and the implementation of MSP as measures that could revive farm incomes and the wider rural economy. It also backed the proposed Rs 100-crore startup fund, to be split between incubating centers and venture capital funds, saying the move could help entrepreneurship gain momentum in the state.
The chamber described the budget as “pragmatic” and "balanced" and said it expected “significant tailwinds supporting Bengal’s growth” in an environment without friction with the center.
Grand designs meet the test of delivery
The ICC added that the budget signaled a practical mix of welfare spending, industrial incentives, and infrastructure development and added that it expected the package to support Bengal’s growth trajectory.
Its comments came as the state government set out a broad agenda that included social schemes, employment generation, airport and port projects, and technology-led reforms. For industry bodies and investors, the coming months will show how many of these proposals move from announcement to execution.
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FAQs
Q1: Why has the Indian Chamber of Commerce welcomed the West Bengal Budget 2026?
Ans: The ICC said the budget balances welfare measures, infrastructure development and industry-focused reforms that could boost investment and economic growth.
Q2: What industry-related announcements in the Bengal Budget 2026 were praised by the ICC?
Ans: The chamber highlighted the proposed deep-sea port, greenfield airports, startup fund, AI Impact Mission, and land reform initiatives as key positives for investors.
