Govt pushes big-tech investments to strengthen West Bengal’s digital economy

The Centre is working to attract global technology firms and Indian conglomerates to West Bengal through investments in semiconductor manufacturing, data centres, and R&D hubs, aiming to boost industrial growth and strengthen the state’s digital ecosystem.

The Indian government is stepping up efforts to position West Bengal as a major technology and innovation destination by engaging with global technology companies and domestic business groups for large-scale investments in data centres, semiconductor projects, and research and development facilities.

According to reports citing sources familiar with the developments, discussions are currently underway with semiconductor firms and global capability centres, with some investment proposals expected to move forward as early as June. The initiative is part of a broader push to accelerate industrial growth and expand the state’s digital infrastructure ecosystem.

The move also aligns with the state government’s ambitious Silicon Valley project, a large technology hub being developed over nearly 250 acres. The project is expected to attract investments worth around ₹30,000 crore and generate close to 7,500 employment opportunities. Officials indicate that development work is progressing steadily, with land already allotted to several companies.

Focus on data centres and AI infrastructure

West Bengal has been gradually strengthening its presence in India’s data centre landscape. The state currently ranks among the leading emerging regions for data centre capacity, with multiple private facilities already operational.

One of the notable developments is the government-backed data centre in Siliguri, which houses advanced Nvidia GPU infrastructure designed to support artificial intelligence workloads. The state government is also exploring the possibility of allowing private companies to use this infrastructure for AI model training and related applications.

Renewed push for technology growth

Despite recent progress, West Bengal has traditionally remained behind leading technology hubs in software exports and IT-enabled services. Industry experts believe the latest push could help improve the state’s competitiveness in emerging technologies such as AI, semiconductor manufacturing, and cloud infrastructure.

Reports of discussions with major global firms, including Google, have further raised expectations around the state’s future as a potential technology investment destination.