New Delhi, Nov. 10 -- West Bengal has the ports, the borders and the products, yet its goods exports in 2025-26 were below their 2021-22 level in dollar terms. The next export policy must focus on organizing and upgrading the capabilities the state already has.

On 22 June, state finance minister Swapan Dasgupta presented the new government's first budget, with Rs.5,000 crore for industry incentives. The timing matters for exports, because the 2023 policy aimed to double within a decade, yet Bengal exported $12.88 billion in 2025-26, still below the $13.9 billion of 2021-22.

Bengal ranks ninth among states, with 2.92% of India's merchandise exports, far behind Gujarat (25.04%), Maharashtra (15.87%) and Tamil Nadu (13.43%). Over the four ...