West Bengal Industries and Industrial Policy- 1 | WBCS Preparation: All Subjects - WBCS (West Bengal) PDF Download

Major Industries in West Bengal 

Various crucial industries in West Bengal are outlined below, each relying on the state's diverse resources: 

Agro Based Industries 

Industries in this category rely on agricultural resources for raw materials, and West Bengal, abundant in agricultural wealth, witnesses substantial production in jute, paper, tea, cotton, and silk. 

• Jute Industry 
  • West Bengal holds a prominent position in the country's jute textile manufacturing.
  • The state, boasting the first jute mill in India established in 1859, contributes significantly to the industry.
  • Key production centers include Naihati, Bhatpara, Titagarh, and Kamarhati.
• Paper Industry
  Manufacturing of paper in India started at Serampore in Hooghly district of West Bengal. So, it is the pioneer in paper production in India. West Bengal is the second largest state in India on the basis of production capacity (about 20%) of paper after Maharashtra. There are five large paper mills in West Bengal. These are as follows:  
  i. Titagarh Paper Mills Limited, Titagarh
  ii. Indian Paper Pulp Company Limited, Naihati
  iii. WIMCO Paper Mills Limited, Dakshineswar
  iv. Tribeni Tissues Limited, Tribeni
  v. Bengal Paper Mills Limited, Raniganj
• Tea Industry
  • West Bengal plays a vital role in India's tea production, with Darjeeling renowned for its world-famous Darjeeling tea.
  • Approximately 25% of India's tea comes from West Bengal, contributing significantly to the state's economy.
    Tea industry plays an important role in the economy of West Bengal in the following ways:
    Tea industry generates employment in different ways that include production, processing and distribution.
    Kolkata port is the biggest tea handling port and Kolkata is the biggest tea auction market in India. Export of tea from Kolkata has generated export-related economic functions like storage facility, commercial services, etc.
• Cotton Textile Industry
  • West Bengal, with India's first modern cotton textile industry established in 1818, is a leading producer.
  • Serampore, Rishra, Howrah, and Uluberia are pivotal centers for cotton textile production.
• Silk Industry
  • West Bengal excels in both natural and artificial silk production, with Murshidabad being a major silk fabrics center.
  • Significant silk-producing regions include Santipur, Fulia, Dhaniakhali, and Bishnupur.
• Food Processing Industry
  • West Bengal stands out in the food and agro-processing sector, contributing significantly to India's production of potatoes, pineapples, bananas, and rice.
  • The state is also involved in the processing of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, and consumer foods.

Mineral Based Industry

Industries relying on minerals as raw materials thrive in West Bengal due to its rich mineral resources.

• Iron and Steel Industry 
  The first iron and steel plant in West Bengal was set up at Kulti in Bardhaman district in 1870 by James Erskine. This started an era of large scale production of iron and steel in India.
  Out of 13 integrated steel plants in India, two are situated in West Bengal. One is Indian Iron and Steel Co. (IISCO) in Burnpur near Asansol. It is the second oldest steel plant of India after TISCO (Tata Iron and Steal Company Limited). IISCO is located in Raniganj-Asansol coalfield. It gets iron-ore from Gua in Jharkhand and produces steel rods and bars.
  The second is in Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) at Durgapur that was developed during the Second Five Year Plan by Steel Authority of India. It gets coal from Raniganj, iron-ore from Noamundi in Jharkhand and produces wheels, axles, sleepers, etc. It is on the banks of river Damodar, 160 km from Kolkata. Durgapur region is also known as Ruhr of India due to its coalfields.
   
• Petrochemical Industry
  West Bengal accounts for around 4% of India’s petroleum products and 13% of polymer production. A Purified Terephathalic Acid (PTA) plant has been set up at Haldia in East Midnapore district. It was set up by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) of Japan. Many industries are based on petrochemicals. West Bengal has a considerable share of chemical based industries which is given below:
  Chemical Industries in West Bengal
   
• Aluminium Industry
  The state donot has aluminium deposits but it has 2 aluminium plants. Jaykaya Nagar near Asansol in Bardhaman district has one of the oldest aluminium plant that is manged by Aluminium Corporation of India. Another aluminium plant is set up at Belur in Howarh district that produces consumer products made from that metal. It was up in 1938. The plant gets aluminium from Kerela mines. It was managed by Indian Aluminium Company.

Leather Industry

West Bengal contributes approximately 25% to India's leather exports, housing numerous leather goods manufacturing units. The state government has established the Kolkata Leather Complex, a state-of-the-art integrated facility on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata. Key players in this sector include Bata India Limited in Batanagar, South 24 Parganas district, and the Khadim Group in Tangra, near Kolkata. The West Bengal State Leather Industrial Development Corporation operates the Charmaja outlet, facilitating marketing for small-scale leather units in the state.

Engineering Industry

Major engineering industries in West Bengal encompass machine tools, transport equipment, railway engines, wagons, engineering goods, motors, and shipbuilding. These industries are concentrated in Kolkata and Durgapur-Asansol regions.
Some Light and Heavy Engineering Industries in West Bengal

IT Industry 

The West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation (WEBEL), established in 1974, initially for electronics, now serves as a key agency for IT sector and e-governance development in the state. WEBEL introduced the WBSWAN (West Bengal State Wide Area Network), connecting district headquarters at the Gram Panchayat and block levels.
IT hubs include Salt Lake Sector V and Rajarhat in Kolkata, with additional centers in Durgapur, Siliguri, and Haldia. Major players such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and IBM contribute significantly to IT employment in the private sector.

Industrial Regions of West Bengal

The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (WBIDC), established in 1967, spearheads industrial development by financing medium and large-scale industries, developing infrastructure, and fostering joint sector investment with foreign and private companies.
The state features five major industrial belts:

Durgapur-Raniganj-Asansol Industrial Region
Durgapur-Raniganj-Asansol Industrial Region: Located in the western part of Bardhaman district, it spans over 70 km along the Grand Trunk Road. Primarily focused on iron and steel, it also hosts industries like aluminum, bicycle manufacturing, mining, cement, and fertilizers.
Some of the important industries in this region are given below:

Hooghly Industrial Region
Hooghly Industrial Region: Positioned along the Hooghly River, covering parts of Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly, and Howrah districts. Pioneering jute textile industry development in India, it hosts various industries.
Some of the important industries in this region are given below:
 

Kolkata Industrial Region
Kolkata Industrial Region: Kolkata serves as a major center for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME). Industries in this region include woollen, silk, and cotton thread-making, embroidery, paper products, leather products, and software technology parks. Key exports involve leather products, handicrafts, ferrous and non-ferrous casting, textiles, and food products.
Important locations with their industries are as follows: