Kolkata: SBI Research has said the West Bengal Budget for 2026-27 carries the most optimistic policy narrative in 17 years, marking a decisive shift from the redistributive framework that defined both the Left Front and Trinamool Congress rule.
The BJP government in West Bengal sought to blend welfare continuity with political and administrative reset in its maiden budget presented on Monday, as it pledged to fill one lakh government vacancies and increase dearness allowance by 20 percentage points, while stressing the need for fiscal discipline.
In a note released on Wednesday, the State Bank of India’s economic research arm said an analysis of West Bengal budget speeches from 2010-11 to 2026-27 found that this budget exhibits an unprecedented degree of positive linguistic framing, with future commitment keywords scoring 150.5 mentions per 10,000 words, more than four times the 33 mentions in the TMC government’s final budget.
“West Bengal is well-positioned to strengthen its role as a key economic growth engine for Eastern India and a strategic gateway to regional and global markets. Industry looks forward to a progressive and growth-oriented Budget that reinforces investor confidence through continued focus on infrastructure development, fiscal prudence, ease of doing business, and industrial competitiveness,” said Mehul Mohanka, Chairman, CII Eastern Region.
Industrial Thrust: An allocated ₹5,000 crore investment-push including development of an IT park in Siliguri, a semiconductor manufacturing unit in Durgapur, and the revival of the Calcutta Stck Exchange.
Capital Expenditure (Capex): Baseline capex increased dramatically to ₹86,533.10 crore, a 42.6% jump over the previous year, focused on critical economic services.
Job Creation & Welfare: The state plans to fill 1 lakh government vacancies in phases (with a 33% reservation for women and 10% for Agniveers), alongside a ₹36,000-crore women-centric welfare push.
Fiscal Challenges: SBI Research notes that despite this positive policy direction, the state faces significant fiscal challenges due to high accumulated debt and reliance on central funds.
