Experts eye MSME route to revive Bengal chemical sector
Times of India | 19 January 2026
Kolkata: Although the state govt scrapped the proposed Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) at Nayachar Island over a decade ago, Bengal still has significant potential to revive chemical and allied industries through targeted policy support and the development of an MSME- and startup-driven ecosystem. This was the central theme of ChEMEAST 2026, an industry conclave jointly organised by the Regional Centre of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (CRC-IIChE) and the Jadavpur Chemical Engineering Alumni Association on Saturday.
The conclave brought together academicians, policymakers and industry stakeholders from sectors such as green energy, logistics, and supply chain management to deliberate on actionable pathways for attracting domestic and global investment.
Chief guest Padma Shri G D Yadav, president of the Indian Chemical Society and former vice-chancellor of ICT, Mumbai, told TOI: "Since Bengal tops the country's MSME growth, they can contribute to the growth of chemical and allied industries with the help of a single-window policy. Large players must collaborate with MSMEs to steer growth for this sector. The govt needs to be a dedicated chemical industry zone, and Singapore should be taken as a model for chemical industry. Big players in this segment also need to change their mindsets to adopt new business strategies and technologies to ramp up production capacities."
Debashis Ghosh, organising secretary of the conclave and secretary of CRC-IIChE, said: "It is a platform where industry meets innovation and ideas are meant to become growth engines for the region. With evolving energy transitions, new material economies, digital intelligence, ESG imperatives and infrastructure-led growth, it is time to reposition Bengal and other parts of eastern India as a future powerhouse for chemical and allied industries."
Biswanath Chattopadhyay, CEO of IVL Dhunseri and organising committee chairperson, said: "It is through innovation, circularity and green integration that energy, oil and gas, petrochemical and speciality chemical landscapes can be evolved."