West Bengal to meet industry stakeholders on new industrial policy on August 11

Kolkata: West Bengal government will hold a meeting with industry stakeholders on August 11 in Kolkata to discuss the proposed new industrial policy, which is likely to come up in August, ahead of placing it before a group of ministers (GoM) and then the Bengal cabinet for approval, state commerce and industries minister Tapas Roy said on Saturday.

"The meeting of the stakeholders will be held on August 11. The consultation will provide the industry representatives an opportunity and platform to offer their suggestions before the policy moves into the final stages of approval," Roy said while speaking at a programme organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Kolkata.

The state government intends to incorporate the suggestions of industry before finalising the policy, he added.


Roy said today the West Bengal government would publish a white paper examining investment commitments in the eight editions of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) held under the previous Trinamool government.

Meanwhile, Roy said the state government would assess if the proposals in previous BGBS were implemented and if the announcements translated into reality.

“Eight BGBS have been held and so many commitments were made. We will bring out a white paper to examine what was done and what was not, what was announced and how much was actually signed,” Roy said.

Roy said, “A modern industry promotion policy with clear incentives, time-bound approvals and investor handholding. The relation between industrialists and the government is not that we are employers and you are employees. You are partners in the growth of West Bengal. We should give you the respect you deserve.”

“Reintroduction of industrial incentives, industrial land bank and resumption of unused land in industrial parks. Strengthen the single window system with accountability and service-level timelines will be undertaken. We'll provide all sorts of cooperation you need and will be honoured. This government is an industry-friendly government, and you will never feel anything which you felt earlier.”

The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) organised an interactive session with Tapas Roy focussing on strengthening collaboration between the West Bengal govt, ICC, and industry stakeholders to create a conducive environment for investment, infrastructure development, employment generation, and sustainable industrial expansion. Roy accepted the role of Mentor of the ICC.

Rajeev Singh, Director General, Indian Chamber of Commerce, said, “I think industry people at large, everybody is welcoming this unprecedented change with open arms. It's time now for all of us to start partnering with the government and start building blocks towards a Viksit Bengal.”