Kolkata: The Bengal government has achieved record lending to MSME units, with 42 per cent of the annual target met in the first quarter itself.
Amit Mitra, principal chief advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Finance Department, chaired the State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) meeting on Tuesday. He said lending worth Rs 88,000 crore had already been achieved till June 2025 against the 2025–26 fiscal target of Rs 2.12 lakh crore.
According to Union government projections, an investment of Rs 1 crore in the MSME sector generates employment for 37 people. The state government believes the increased flow of credit will boost job creation, a key focus area of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Mitra pointed out that before Banerjee came to power in 2011, total bank lending to the sector stood at just Rs 8,387 crore.
Bank credit to MSMEs spans sectors including agriculture, allied activities, fisheries, animal resources development, self-help groups, food processing, and horticulture.
Mitra urged bankers to expedite clearance of around 80,000 pending applications under the Bhabishyat Credit Card (BCC) scheme. So far, 45,000 applications have been processed and funds released. He also called on banks to step up credit support for exporters, as the state is placing special emphasis on boosting exports.