Kolkata, February 20, 2026

 

The West Bengal Regional Office of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) successfully organised the State Credit Seminar 2026 in the city today and unveiled the State Focus Paper 2026–27, estimating a Priority Sector Lending potential of ₹3,99,127 crore for West Bengal for FY 2026–27, marking a 5% increase over the last year.

The State Focus Paper consolidates district-level Potential Linked Plans prepared through extensive consultations with banks, State Government departments and development stakeholders. It will guide the formulation and implementation of the State’s Annual Credit Plan for FY 2026–27. Aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, the seminar reaffirmed the collective commitment to channelising institutional credit towards climate-resilient agriculture, modern rural infrastructure and inclusive growth for West Bengal’s 9.1 crore population.

During the seminar, Shri Prabhat Kumar Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Government of West Bengal, formally unveiled the State Focus Paper in the presence of Shri Onkar Singh Meena, Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture, GoWB; Shri Balbir Singh, General Manager & Convenor SLBC and senior officials from the State Government, banks and financial institutions.

In his keynote address, Shri Mishra stated that coordinated efforts between NABARD, the State Government and stakeholders to address ground-level challenges. Highlighting the strong potential across West Bengal’s diverse agro-climatic zones, he pointed to high returns in the fisheries sector and stressed the need for sustained support to beneficiaries to ensure effective credit linkage and risk mitigation. He also acknowledged NABARD’s role in assessing the State’s credit potential and supporting development initiatives.

Shri P. K. Bhardwaj, Chief General Manager, NABARD, stated that of the total projected credit potential of ₹3.99 lakh crore, the agriculture sector, including agri-infrastructure and allied activities, accounts for ₹1.37 lakh crore (34%). He underscored the importance of strengthening Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), enhancing climate resilience, and promoting processing and marketing initiatives to ensure sustainable agricultural growth. Recognising West Bengal’s approximately 90 lakh MSME units, the second-highest in the country, NABARD assessed a credit potential of ₹2.07 lakh crore (51.8%) for the MSME sector for FY 2026–27, reaffirming its role as a major driver of employment and industrial growth.

Additionally, ₹53,724 crore has been estimated for other priority sector activities including housing, education, social infrastructure, export credit, renewable energy and SHG/JLG financing. The seminar also witnessed the release of sectoral studies on fisheries and MSMEs, along with documentaries showcasing projects supported under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) and the Farm Sector Promotion Fund, highlighting NABARD’s continued focus on strengthening rural infrastructure and enterprise development in the State.

 

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