Creating 1 Crore Jobs & "Atmanirvar Bangla" among Top Priorities for 2026 Bengal BJP Government.

 

Interview with Mr. Shisir Bajoria (Industrialist and Bengal BJP Executive Member)

About Mr. Shisir Bajoria - Shishir Bajoria is a Kolkata-based industrialist and political leader, heading the S K Bajoria Group, a diversified multinational with global operations in refractories and industrial services.He serves as Chairman of IFGL Refractories and has held key institutional roles including President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Vice-Chairman of the Europe India Business Council.

In politics, he is a senior figure in the BJP’s West Bengal unit and played a strategic role in shaping the party’s 2026 Assembly vision document. Notably, he is regarded as one of the contributors to the BJP’s “Bharosar Sapath” (manifesto/ghosona patra)—a document positioned as a roadmap for governance, development, and institutional reforms, built after consultations across different sections of society.

Q1. Bengal is projected as a top MSME state. What is the real ground reality?

Shisir Bajoria:

“Let me be very clear—yes, Bengal has one of the largest MSME ecosystems in India, with nearly 90 lakh units. But we need to understand the difference between statistical strength and economic strength.

Most of these MSMEs are micro-level units, often running at subsistence levels without scalability. They lack access to formal credit systems, advanced technology, and structured supply chains. What is being projected is the number of registrations, not the health of the sector.

Another issue is how data is presented. Many MSMEs are counted as ‘active’ even when they are not contributing significantly to GDP or employment. This creates an impression that Bengal is leading, but the reality on the ground is that MSME productivity, export capability, and sustainability are quite weak.

So the narrative is only partially true—it’s not false, but it’s incomplete. The government highlights the volume, but not the economic depth and viability of these enterprises.”

Q2. Bengal once led India’s industrial growth. What led to its decline?

Shisir Bajoria:

“Bengal’s industrial legacy is unmatched—from Bengal Chemicals to Howrah’s engineering ecosystem, from jute mills to heavy industries in Durgapur. But over decades, policies have eroded investor confidence.

The Left era created a mindset where industry was often treated with suspicion, and militant trade unionism became a deterrent. Then instead of reversing that perception aggressively, the subsequent governance continued with policy inconsistency.

A major turning point was when Ratan Tata moved out the Nano project. That was not just a project loss—it was a signal to global investors.

Now, coming to the present, there is also a serious structural issue with land availability and land bank transparency. The government claims to have land banks, but if you actually go through the official listings, land is often fragmented and presented in square feet and square meters, which is impractical for large industries that require hundreds or thousands of acres in contiguous blocks.

There is no clear, investor-friendly mapping of industrial land availability. Large corporates do not think in square feet—they think in acres and integrated zones. This disconnect itself discourages serious investment.

Add to that issues like syndicate culture, local interference, bureaucratic delays, and lack of policy predictability—these factors together create an ecosystem where investors hesitate to commit long-term capital.”

Q3. We are seeing migrant workers and even NRIs returning to vote. What does this indicate?

Shisir Bajoria:

“This is one of the most powerful signals coming out of this election. Bengal is facing both brain drain and brawn drain—our educated youth are leaving, and our labour force is also migrating to other states.

On paper, unemployment numbers may look controlled, but the reality is different. There is a lot of data interpretation and presentation happening, where underemployment is not properly reflected. A graduate working in a low-paying informal job is technically counted as employed, but that does not reflect economic stability.

Schemes like Yuva stipends or 100-day work are being highlighted as achievements. But if you look deeper, they show that the economy is not generating enough formal, sustainable jobs.

Now what we are witnessing is migrant workers returning, people travelling long distances, even NRIs and overseas Bengalis engaging actively. This is not routine voting—this is emotional participation.

People feel that Bengal has reached a point where economic and social direction needs correction, and they want to be part of that decision.”

Q4. What is the future of Bengal as an export and trade hub?

Shisir Bajoria:

“Bengal’s potential is enormous, and it is rooted in history. From Tamralipti port to Murshidabad silk, from Burdwan’s agriculture to Kolkata’s port economy—Bengal once contributed significantly to global trade.

Even today, Bengal has a unique geographical advantage—it connects Northeast India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia. But we are not utilizing that advantage effectively.

Ports are not properly dredged, logistics chains are inefficient, and industrial clusters are underdeveloped. There is also a lack of coordinated policy between infrastructure and export promotion.

If we align these elements properly, Bengal can become the gateway of eastern India for exports, especially in sectors like textiles, handicrafts, agro-products, and creative industries.

The potential is there—but execution has been missing.”

Q5. Will Bengal become investment-friendly in the coming years?

Shisir Bajoria:

“Bengal has everything—talent, culture, intellectual capital, and strategic location. But investors look for trust, transparency, and predictability.

One major concern is the credibility of financial and governance data. There have been repeated concerns raised in audit observations over the years about delays in responses, lack of departmental compliance, and pending audit findings. For instance, audit reports have noted that hundreds of audit observations involving thousands of crores remained unresolved or without response from departments.

When audit systems are not fully responded to, it raises concerns about transparency and accountability.

Similarly, there is a perception that rankings, employment figures, and economic indicators are often presented selectively to create a positive narrative, while underlying structural issues remain unaddressed.

At the same time, there are real opportunities—data centres, AI ecosystems, healthcare, exports. But to unlock them, Bengal needs:

• Clear policy direction
• Transparent data systems
• Efficient governance
• Strong public-private partnerships

Without these, investment will remain limited to announcements rather than execution.”

Q6. With such a high voter turnout, is Bengal heading towards a major shift?

Shisir Bajoria:

“When you see more than 92% turnout, it clearly means people want change—not just political change, but economic accountability.

Bengal today is dealing with serious financial stress. The debt burden has crossed several lakh crores, and a large portion of state revenue goes into servicing that debt. Welfare schemes are important, but if they are not backed by economic growth, they become unsustainable.

There is also a growing concern that financial data, employment data, and development indicators are being presented in a way that does not fully reflect ground realities. That gap between perception and reality is what people are reacting to.

What Bengal needs now is:

• Job creation at scale
• Industrial revival
• Infrastructure development
• A long-term economic roadmap

People are voting not just for a government, but for a future direction.

And I believe this election will define whether Bengal continues on the same path or takes a decisive turn towards economic resurgence.

Entrepreneur & Columnist (Pratayay Sur):

Pratayay Sur is an entrepreneur and media-tech strategist, founder of Idearcade Digital Solutions Pvt. Ltd., working across digital platforms, branding, and startup ecosystems. He has built and contributed to initiatives like Boutiqart, Stageart, and hyperlocal media platforms, focusing on empowering MSMEs (NSIC empaneled trainer), creators, and emerging businesses through technology and storytelling.