West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday inaugurated a Rs 6,000-crore phenol and acetone complex at Haldia, presenting the project as a major step towards reducing India’s dependence on imported industrial chemicals and rebuilding the state’s manufacturing base.
The facility has been established by AdPerMa Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Haldia Petrochemicals Limited. The chief minister described it as India’s largest integrated phenol and acetone plant and said it would generate around 400 direct jobs and another 1,000 indirect jobs.
“Today, the material that we had to import from abroad will no longer need to be imported,” Adhikari said at the inauguration, linking the project to the Centre’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. He also said West Bengal had to develop greater economic self-reliance by attracting industrial investment and expanding employment.
The state government said a further Rs 10,000 crore in investment was in the pipeline for Haldia. Two additional industrial proposals were announced at the event. A Pepsi manufacturing plant is expected to come up on 98 acres, with the Haldia Development Authority having already provided the land. The state Cabinet will approve the project, according to the chief minister.
Another 50 acres will be allotted to Truviss for a medical equipment manufacturing unit. Adhikari also referred to proposals involving Indian Oil Corporation and Haldia Energy, saying the government wanted to accelerate industrial growth in Haldia within a year.
The announcements place Haldia’s port-linked industrial infrastructure at the centre of West Bengal’s proposed investment push. Adhikari said the town’s industrial and port facilities were important not only for the state but also for neighbouring regions. He urged Haldia Petrochemicals chairman Purnendu Chatterjee to establish a data centre in Bengal and assured the company of the government’s support.
The chief minister said a new industrial policy would be unveiled before Diwali. The policy is expected to include investment incentives, land-allocation provisions and power tariffs. Adhikari said the government wanted to create a more business-friendly environment through improved infrastructure and a predictable policy framework.
The state’s industrial strategy will also involve workforce training. Adhikari proposed closer coordination between companies and technical institutions, including CIPET and Durgachak ITI, to train fitters, welders, fire-safety personnel and other skilled workers. He said Chatterjee had expressed interest in employing locally trained young people.
A 50-bed trauma centre with a burn unit is planned in Haldia by June 2027 for emergency care for industrial workers. The project will receive Rs 18 crore from the Haldia Development Authority, Rs 5 crore from Indian Oil Corporation through its corporate social responsibility programme and Rs 5 crore under the National Health Mission.
Adhikari attributed Bengal’s earlier industrial decline to militant trade unionism during the 34-year Left Front regime, as well as what he described as flawed land policies, withdrawn incentives and syndicate-related problems during the subsequent 15 years. He claimed that more than 50,000 industrial units had shut during the Left Front period.
The government’s immediate commitments are the release of the new industrial policy, Cabinet approval for the Pepsi project, land allocation for the medical equipment unit and completion of the Haldia trauma centre by June 2027.
