Bengal Eyes Digital Land Bank to Revive Industrial Growth

West Bengal's government is considering the establishment of a comprehensive digital land bank to catalogue available industrial plots across the state, according to officials overseeing economic development initiatives.

The proposed Geographic Information System (GIS) platform would map and track industrial land parcels, potentially simplifying the process of plot allocation for manufacturing and other industrial ventures. By centralizing information about available sites, the state aims to reduce bureaucratic delays and enhance transparency in land transactions.

Bengal's industrial sector has faced headwinds in recent years as competing states have aggressively marketed their infrastructure and investment incentives. A centralized digital inventory could help the state present a more coherent and accessible picture of available opportunities to prospective investors, both domestic and foreign.

The GIS-based land bank represents part of a broader push to address structural impediments to industrial growth in the eastern state. Officials believe improved accessibility to land information could reduce transaction costs and timelines, potentially making Bengal a more attractive destination for manufacturing units seeking to establish or expand operations.

The initiative remains under consideration and would require coordination between multiple government departments and local authorities to compile comprehensive land records and integrate them into a unified digital platform.