State IT minister urges tech biggies to adopt start-ups
The Statesman | 14 July 2025
West Bengal Information & Technology (IT) minister Babul Supriyo urged tech biggies to come forward and adopt start-ups, who, for some reasons, are failing to live up to expectations. This will help immensely in promoting the start-up ecosystem in the state, he said.
“The government has no business to be in every business. Bigger players from the industry have more knowledge and higher understanding of successfully running and managing a business. They should rise to the occasion and adopt start-ups, who may not be performing as per expectations. Mr Ratan Tata had helped so many start-ups. Why can’t others follow suit?” quipped the minister while addressing representatives of the industry at a ‘Meet & Greet’ event.
Later speaking to The Statesman, Supriyo explained that the government cannot formulate a policy in this regard. It can request a private sector company and at best, be a facilitator in the process. But it has to be done if the start-up ecosystem has to reach a meaningful or desired level.
The singer-turned-minister said that the state’s IT sector had witnessed 285 per cent growth in terms of its exports earnings over the last 14 years or so. The exports earned from the state’s IT sector has reached over Rs 35,000 crore from a level of Rs 8,500 crore in these years. The IT investments are also heading northward.
“The state’s ambitious Bengal Silicon Valley project has received bookings from as many as 41 companies, of which five companies have finished their construction works, three companies have become operational and 23 companies are already in different stages of implementation. Interestingly, the land parcels which otherwise cost Rs 40 crores per acre, are being offered at Rs 5 crore per acre to the investor companies. Isn’t it an incentive in itself?” said the minister.
Supriyo also urged the industry to let the government know which are the areas where there are industry-academia gaps and the state would try to bridge those gaps. The state would do everything possible and everything required to make the tech curriculum industry-ready, said the Bengal IT minister.