Durgapur has five industrial estates managed by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation accommodating many private factories, but no electronics equipment manufacturing plant as yet.
Photo: Representative/ANI
West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta’s maiden budget statement in the assembly on Monday has given significant importance to the Durgapur industrial zone, declaring a techno-economic survey for metro railway, besides, accommodating a semiconductor unit for the industrial town utilising Centre’s fund assistance.
In February 2026, the Union Budget had announced an integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor with a well-connected node at Durgapur under the estimated Rs 3,000 crore National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust.
Advertisement
“These initiatives will create new greenfield industrial areas and nodes structured to compete with premier manufacturing and investment destinations shortly,” Supriyo Ganguly, Advisor, North Durgapur Industrial Association said in his post Budget reaction.
Advertisement
Durgapur has five industrial estates managed by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation accommodating many private factories, but no electronics equipment manufacturing plant as yet.
The proposed semiconductor unit, with assistance from Bharat Audyogik Vikash Yojna Industrial Node, aimed to decentralise high-tech employment outside Kolkata, will start electronics manufacturing from Durgapur for the first time.
The former Mamata Bannerjee government had earlier declared repurposing a five-acre closed wood industry land for an IT Park. However, the plan was stalled. The land is now possessed by the state-owned Webel.
Durgapur has no legacy of semiconductor manufacturing unit, but the city already stands as a burgeoning hub for semiconductor research. It should be noted that students from the National Institute of Technology, Durgapur have successfully designed some of country’s first indigenous microchip.
The metro rail announcement drew the most public excitement.
“If the survey gets a green signal, Durgapur will get an important place on India’s railway map,” Durgapur Chamber of Commerce President Chandan Dutta said.
“Importance of industrial Durgapur has increased. Employment will grow and more investment will come,” he added.
Advertisement
