Bengal corporate giants welcomed the Rs 4.38-lakh-crore state budget and strongly endorsed the state Finance Minister’s announcement that a new law would be enacted to free the state from the syndicate system and curb rent-seeking.
Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry president Priti A Sureka said, “If implemented effectively, such a measure will come as a major relief to the business community and help improve investor confidence in the state.”
She also welcomed the proposal to revisit the Urban Land Ceiling Act to facilitate investment.
Industry leaders including RP-Sanjiv Goenka (RPSG) Chairman Sanjiv Goenka backed the state budget’s focus on economic revival and ease of doing business.
Reacting to the Budget, Goenka said, “Absolutely brilliant. Lays down the foundation for infrastructure development and industrialisation in an inclusive manner.”
Ambuja Neotia Group Chairman Harshavardhan Neotia said the state Budget links infrastructure, regional connectivity, education, healthcare, industrial development and job creation seamlessly to create growth.
Neotia said these measures, if implemented well, could widen economic activity beyond Bengal’s traditional growth hubs, attract fresh investment and support a broader growth story for the state.
Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Director General Rajeev Singh described the state Budget as pragmatic and balanced, highlighting that its combination of welfare spending and industrial measures can propel development and stimulate demand.
“Land has been one of the principal constraints for industry in the state. The proposed digitisation of land records and the review of the Urban Land Ceiling Act are therefore significant steps. Once these are sorted, the path will become much smoother for industry and other businesses to set up shop in the state,” Singh said.
The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Eastern Region Development Council chairman Taranjit Singh said the first state Budget of the new government laid out a roadmap for growth through infrastructure creation, stronger revenue mobilisation and better public service delivery.
“West Bengal, with its strategic location as the gateway to eastern and north-eastern India, its skilled manpower, ports, mineral resources and industrial base, is well placed to attract fresh investment across manufacturing, logistics, MSMEs, services and emerging sectors,” Singh said.
The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCC&I) also welcomed the state budget describing it as a forward-looking roadmap that balances economic growth with social welfare while aligning closely with the vision of Viksit Bharat and the Centre’s Purvodaya (Rise of the East) agenda.
BCC&I particularly welcomed the focus on multimodal connectivity, logistics infrastructure, port-led development, new airports and logistics corridors, which are expected to strengthen West Bengal’s position as the gateway to Eastern and North-Eastern India.
The Chamber appreciated the government’s commitment to industrialisation through a Rs 5,000 crore allocation for MSME and industrial development, the proposed new Industrial Policy and plans to revisit the Urban Land Ceiling framework. These measures are expected to improve ease of doing business and attract fresh investments.
Welcoming the emphasis on technology-driven growth, BCC&I highlighted initiatives such as the West Bengal AI Impact Mission, the proposed IT Park in Siliguri, a semiconductor unit in Durgapur, a new startup policy and new research and innovation centres.