From its iconic jute mills to its booming IT parks, Kolkata's industrial landscape is a surprising powerhouse, responsible for producing 65% of India's jute, employing hundreds of thousands, and fueling billions in exports across manufacturing, chemicals, and technology.
Key Takeaways
- Kolkata's jute mills produced 1.2 million tonnes of jute goods in FY 2022-23, accounting for 65% of India's total jute production.
- The jute industry in Kolkata employs approximately 260,000 workers directly and indirectly as of 2023.
- Kolkata hosts 70 operational jute mills, producing diversified products like yarn, fabric, and bags.
- Kolkata engineering sector output reached INR 45,000 crore in FY23.
- Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in Kolkata delivered 5 warships in 2023.
- Kolkata hosts 1,200 MSMEs in heavy engineering, employing 150,000 workers.
- Kolkata's chemical industry production value was INR 35,000 crore in FY23.
- 250 pharmaceutical units in Kolkata, producing 15% of India's bulk drugs.
- Kolkata Chemical cluster exports worth USD 1.8 billion annually.
- Kolkata IT industry employs 2.5 lakh professionals as of 2024.
- Salt Lake Sector V in Kolkata hosts 450 IT companies, generating INR 50,000 crore revenue.
- IT exports from Kolkata reached USD 4.2 billion in FY23.
- Kolkata food processing industry output INR 25,000 crore in FY23.
- 500+ units in Kolkata process 2 million tonnes of fisheries annually.
- Tea packaging in Kolkata handles 300 million kg yearly.
Kolkata's jute industry leads national production and supports many manufacturing and technology sectors.
Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals
- Kolkata's chemical industry production value was INR 35,000 crore in FY23.
- 250 pharmaceutical units in Kolkata, producing 15% of India's bulk drugs.
- Kolkata Chemical cluster exports worth USD 1.8 billion annually.
- Emami and other firms produce 500,000 tonnes of specialty chemicals yearly.
- 40% growth in Kolkata's dye intermediates production to 120,000 MT in 2023.
- Kolkata hosts 150 paint manufacturing plants with capacity 2 million KL.
- Fertilizer production in Kolkata region at 1.5 million tonnes per year.
- Pharma R&D investment in Kolkata reached INR 2,500 crore in FY23.
- 20 new API manufacturing facilities approved in Kolkata in 2023.
- Kolkata's petrochemical output contributes 10% to eastern India's total.
- Bulk drug exports from Kolkata hit USD 800 million in 2022-23.
- 1,200 workers trained in chemical safety in Kolkata under PSUs.
- Pharma formulations from Kolkata 10% national share.
- Chemical parks in Kolkata host 300 units.
- API production capacity 50,000 MT per year.
- Paint sales in east India 30% from Kolkata.
- Fertilizer units produce 1.8 MT ammonia.
- Specialty chemicals exports USD 1 billion.
- 50 new biotech firms in pharma cluster.
- Dye production 150,000 MT, 25% export.
- Petrochem derivatives 2 million tonnes output.
- R&D spend 5% of pharma turnover in Kolkata.
Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Interpretation
Kolkata's industrial alchemy turns a potent cocktail of bulk drugs, paint, and fertilizer into a formidable chemical empire, proving the city is far more than just its cultural patrimony.
Engineering and Heavy Industries
- Kolkata engineering sector output reached INR 45,000 crore in FY23.
- Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in Kolkata delivered 5 warships in 2023.
- Kolkata hosts 1,200 MSMEs in heavy engineering, employing 150,000 workers.
- Hooghly Cochin Shipyard in Kolkata repaired 25 vessels in 2022-23.
- Engineering exports from Kolkata totaled USD 2.5 billion in FY23.
- 300+ precision tool manufacturing units in Howrah-Kolkata cluster.
- Kolkata's steel fabrication capacity is 5 million tonnes per annum.
- Titagarh Wagons Ltd in Kolkata produced 1,500 railway wagons in 2023.
- Automotive components sector in Kolkata grew 12% YoY to INR 8,000 crore.
- 45% of India's pump manufacturing comes from Kolkata region.
- Heavy machinery turnover in Kolkata hit INR 12,000 crore in 2023.
- GRSE order book stands at INR 25,000 crore for 2024.
- Howrah engineering cluster has 2,000 units, INR 20,000 cr turnover.
- Railway coach production in Kolkata 1,000 units yearly.
- Pump exports USD 300 million from Kolkata base.
- Titagarh Rail delivered 200 Vande Bharat coaches.
- Steel structures fabrication 3 million tonnes capacity.
- Auto ancillary growth 10% to INR 9,000 crore.
- Machine tools production 50,000 units annually.
- Ship repair turnover INR 5,000 crore in 2023.
- Precision engineering exports up 20% to USD 1 billion.
Engineering and Heavy Industries Interpretation
While its colonial-era factories might whisper tales of a bygone industrial age, Kolkata's engineering heart today beats with the formidable, diverse rhythm of a modern titan, launching warships, forging railways, and pumping out nearly half the nation's pumps with a quiet, relentless hum.
Food Processing and Others
- Kolkata food processing industry output INR 25,000 crore in FY23.
- 500+ units in Kolkata process 2 million tonnes of fisheries annually.
- Tea packaging in Kolkata handles 300 million kg yearly.
- Bakery and confectionery sector in Kolkata employs 100,000, turnover INR 15,000 crore.
- Leather tanning units in Kolkata process 50,000 hides daily.
- Gems and jewellery exports from Kolkata USD 3 billion in FY23.
- Printing and publishing industry in Kolkata produces 1 billion books yearly.
- Tobacco processing in Kolkata at 200,000 tonnes per annum.
- Handicrafts export hub Kolkata shipped USD 500 million in 2023.
- Kolkata's logistics sector handles 20% of eastern India's cargo.
- Agri processing units 400 in Kolkata periphery.
- Fisheries export USD 1 billion from processing.
- Packaged foods market INR 10,000 crore.
- Leather goods exports USD 400 million.
- Jewellery manufacturing employs 200,000 artisans.
- Printing industry turnover INR 8,000 crore.
- Rice milling capacity 5 million tonnes.
- Spices processing 100,000 tonnes yearly.
- Beverage production 1 billion liters annually.
- Logistics parks handle 15 million TEUs cargo.
Food Processing and Others Interpretation
Kolkata's industrial might is a deliciously complex recipe, blending a billion books with a billion liters of beverage, spiced with billions in gems and leather, all served on a platter of logistics that proves the city is far more than just its legendary appetite.
IT and Services
- Kolkata IT industry employs 2.5 lakh professionals as of 2024.
- Salt Lake Sector V in Kolkata hosts 450 IT companies, generating INR 50,000 crore revenue.
- IT exports from Kolkata reached USD 4.2 billion in FY23.
- 25% YoY growth in Kolkata's BPO sector, employing 1.2 lakh.
- Kolkata ranks 4th in India for IT talent pool with 3 lakh engineers.
- 150 startups in Kolkata's IT ecosystem raised USD 500 million in 2023.
- Data center capacity in Kolkata expanded to 50 MW in 2023.
- Fintech firms in Kolkata processed 10% of India's digital payments.
- AI startups in Kolkata grew to 80, with patents filed 200+.
- Kolkata's software dev turnover INR 75,000 crore in FY24 est.
- 5G rollout boosted Kolkata IT infra investments by INR 10,000 crore.
- E-commerce logistics supported by Kolkata IT hubs, handling 5 million orders daily.
- IT workforce addition 50,000 in 2023.
- Revenue per IT employee INR 25 lakh in Kolkata.
- 200 GCCs operating in Kolkata IT parks.
- BPM revenue INR 15,000 crore from Kolkata.
- Cybersecurity firms 100+, serving 500 clients.
- Edtech startups raised USD 200 million.
- Cloud services adoption 60% among Kolkata SMEs.
- Healthtech apps developed 150 in ecosystem.
- Digital transformation projects 1,000 completed.
- VLSI design centers employ 10,000 engineers.
IT and Services Interpretation
Kolkata's IT sector has shrewdly swapped its signature tea for terabytes, ranking fourth in national talent while brewing a digital revolution that serves up billion-dollar exports, processes a tenth of India's digital payments, and fuels a vibrant startup ecosystem with rapid infrastructure and job growth.
Jute and Textiles
- Kolkata's jute mills produced 1.2 million tonnes of jute goods in FY 2022-23, accounting for 65% of India's total jute production.
- The jute industry in Kolkata employs approximately 260,000 workers directly and indirectly as of 2023.
- Kolkata hosts 70 operational jute mills, producing diversified products like yarn, fabric, and bags.
- Export value of jute products from Kolkata was INR 3,500 crore in 2022-23.
- Kolkata's jute sector contributes 40% to West Bengal's industrial output.
- Over 1,500 small-scale jute processing units operate in Kolkata's suburbs.
- Jute yarn production in Kolkata reached 450,000 tonnes annually in 2023.
- Kolkata jute mills adopted eco-friendly Hessian cloth production, reducing water usage by 25% in 2022.
- The sector's turnover from jute diversified products hit INR 5,000 crore in FY23.
- Kolkata supplies 75% of India's sacking bags used for packaging.
- 120 jute mills in Kolkata region modernized machinery under TUFS scheme by 2023.
- Jute employment in Kolkata grew by 5% YoY to 275,000 in 2023.
- Kolkata's jute exports to USA alone valued at USD 150 million in 2022.
- 60% of Kolkata's jute production is now diversified into shopping bags and geotextiles.
- Average wage in Kolkata jute mills is INR 25,000 per month as of 2023.
- Kolkata jute sector power consumption stands at 1.2 billion kWh annually.
- 85 new jute startups emerged in Kolkata in 2023 under MSME schemes.
- Jute waste recycling in Kolkata processes 200,000 tonnes yearly.
- Kolkata's share in national jute R&D funding is 35%.
- Production capacity utilization in Kolkata jute mills averaged 78% in 2023.
- 150 jute mills produced 1.25 million tonnes in 2023, up 4%.
- Jute employment stabilized at 265,000 with skill programs.
- Diversified jute products exports grew 15% to INR 4,000 crore.
- Kolkata jute R&D center developed 10 new varieties in 2023.
- Water recycling in jute mills reached 40% efficiency.
- 90 mills adopted solar power, saving 10% energy costs.
- Sacking production 800,000 tonnes, 70% from Kolkata.
- Jute geotextile market in Kolkata INR 1,200 crore.
- Worker productivity up 8% to 4 tonnes per worker.
Jute and Textiles Interpretation
Kolkata’s jute industry, spinning nearly two-thirds of India’s output into both essential sacks and modern geotextiles, stands as a remarkably resilient economic engine, deftly weaving tradition, employment for over a quarter-million workers, and green innovation into the very fabric of West Bengal's prosperity.
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