The West Bengal Incentive Scheme: Capacity Utilisation

The West Bengal Incentive Scheme, introduced on February 22, 2021, by the Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, seeks to promote entrepreneurship and job creation within the state. Under this framework, the "State Capital Investment Subsidy" sub-scheme extends financial support to prospective entrepreneurs aiming to establish or grow their ventures, with a particular focus on the tourism industry.

The scheme’s overarching goal is to enable self-employed individuals to transition into employers by offering monetary assistance for their projects. Additionally, the "Capacity Utilisation" component provides a distinct advantage: approved mega tourism projects may receive additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR) beyond standard limits, as authorised by relevant authorities. This provision is intended to facilitate the expansion and enhanced operational capacity of large-scale tourism infrastructure.

Valid until December 31, 2025, the scheme invites both new tourism projects or units and the expansion of existing ones to take advantage of its offerings, thereby strengthening the tourism sector and contributing to West Bengal’s economic growth.

To apply, go to the Shilpasathi portal at https://silpasathi.wb.gov.in/ and select the 'Apply online' option.

Registration: If you are a new user, choose 'Create New', pick your entity type (Industry, Business, Commercial, Charitable Society, or Govt. entity), enter the registration number, complete the user registration fields, and press 'Register'. Existing users can sign in using their User ID, password, and Captcha.

Application: Log in to the Shilpasathi portal with your credentials, or use your registered mobile number and OTP. From the dashboard, open 'ALL SERVICES' and tick the box next to 'Tourism Incentive'. Select 'Create CAF' to obtain a unique Common Application Form ID, then click 'Apply Online' to open the form. Complete all required fields in the common application form and upload the relevant supporting documents. After uploading, press 'Save & Continue' and carefully check the completed application. Before final submission, tick the 'Declaration' checkbox at the bottom left of the page, then click 'Submit'. You will receive SMS and email alerts about the application's progress at each stage, including submission, approval, and rejection. You can track the current status on the 'Check status' page. Once the authority approves the application, download the approved Registration certificate from the online system using the 'Download Certificate' button.

Note: Before applying for incentives, you must first obtain a Registration Certificate, Date of Commencement Certificate, and Eligibility Certificate from the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited.

Applications received via the Shilpasathi portal are first checked against the Common Application Form (CAF) and the documents uploaded alongside it. This step confirms that submissions are complete and meet the scheme’s baseline requirements. The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited then carries out a more detailed review, determining whether a project qualifies and issuing the compulsory Registration, Date of Commencement, and Eligibility Certificates that every applicant must obtain. Incentives are released only after these certificates are secured and the competent authority gives its final approval, so that benefits go solely to units that satisfy the scheme’s conditions.