West Bengal rolls out 2026 investment policy with up to 120% capital aid and gender‑focused EPF rebates

West Bengal's BJP government rolled out a new investment promotion policy on November 5, 2026, offering up to 120 % assistance on plant‑and‑machinery investment and 100 % employer EPF reimbursements for women and transgender employees in MSMEs, according to The Hindu.

What incentives does the new policy provide?

The policy, effective from May 9, 2026, gives 100 % assistance to regular units, 110 % to thrust‑sector or priority‑area units and 120 % to thrust‑sector units in priority areas on the share of fixed capital investment (FCI) in plant and machinery, and it stops when the ceiling is reached or ten years after commercial production begins, The Hindu reports. It also reimburses 100 % of EPF contributions for women and transgender staff in MSMEs for ten years and 75 % for women in eligible service units, sets a 30‑day window for certificates of intent and 45 days for certificates of eligibility, waives surcharges on renewable‑energy open access until March 2030, and provides special aid to revive sick or closed industrial units.

Which sectors and projects are prioritized?

The West Bengal Investment Promotion Policy, 2026 identifies thrust sectors such as semiconductors and electronics, green hydrogen and waste‑to‑energy, emerging digital technologies, electric vehicles and batteries, defence, and food and marine processing, The Hindu notes. For large projects the government will assign dedicated relationship officers, and non‑profits investing over ₹100 crore—like hospitals and universities—can retain at least a quarter of their capacity fee for ten years along with extra benefits.

How does the policy differ from the previous regime?

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the new scheme marks a shift from the Trinamool Congress administration, which had retroactively scrapped three decades of incentive schemes through the Revocation of West Bengal Incentive Schemes and Obligations 2025, The Hindu states. He added that the state will avoid forced land acquisition like the Left Front and the “flawed” land policy of the former TMC government, promising a GIS‑mapped land inventory and noting that 33 business groups have already received land, with demand for industrial plots estimated at around ₹1 lakh crore in the coming months.