West Bengal Employment Generation Incentive: 60% ESI/EPF Subsidy for Tourism — Frequently Asked Questions

The scheme reimburses 60% of the employer's contribution towards the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) and Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) schemes. There is no flat sum involved — the payout is calculated on the contributions your unit genuinely makes, so the rupee value differs from business to business and rises as your payroll grows.

Units located in Group A, B, C and D areas receive the 60% incentive for 5 years. Units in designated Special Areas receive it for 10 years.

Eligible tourism projects, tourism units and expansion projects of existing units set up on or after 22 February 2021 can apply. In addition, hotel units that started commercial operations between 7 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 are covered if they could not apply under the earlier 2015 scheme because their hotel did not have a bar.

Eligible units may belong to the private sector, the cooperative sector or the joint sector. Companies and undertakings owned or managed by the State Government also qualify under the scheme.

No. It works purely as a subsidy — the Department of Tourism does not take ownership, shares or a stake in your unit in return. What you receive is a reimbursement of part of the social-security contributions you pay for your employees.

You need to attach the documents required for issue of the three certificates: the Registration Certificate, the Date of Commencement Certificate and the Eligibility Certificate issued by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited. Beyond those, a project must be backed by a detailed feasibility report and must have been approved and sanctioned by a Central Financial Institution, a Commercial Bank or a State Financial Institution.

There is no fixed deadline. The scheme is rolling and applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. The incentive scheme itself remains valid until 31 December 2025.

Applications are filed on the official Shilpasathi portal at https://silpasathi.wb.gov.in/ using the 'Apply online' option. New users click 'Create New', choose their entity type (industry, business, commercial, charitable society or government entity) and enter their registration number, then complete the User Registration form and register. Existing users can sign in with their user ID, password and captcha, or use their registered mobile number with an OTP. After logging in, open 'ALL SERVICES', tick the 'Tourism Incentive' checkbox, click 'Create CAF' to generate a Common Application Form ID, and fill in the form. Upload the documents needed for certificate issuance, tick the declaration at the bottom left, and submit. Status notifications arrive by SMS and email at submission, approval or rejection, and the approved Registration Certificate can be downloaded from the system once the authority clears it.

Incentives are granted only after the Registration Certificate, Date of Commencement Certificate and Eligibility Certificate have been issued. Units apply for the Eligibility Certificate to the Managing Director, West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation, after obtaining the first two certificates. Once all three are in hand, eligible units apply for the specific incentive through the relevant online forms.

Your application is first screened for completeness of the information and documents submitted. The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited then reviews it for the issue of the various certificates, and final approval is granted by the competent authority in the Department of Tourism or WBTDCL after all details are verified and the unit is found to comply with the scheme guidelines.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for West Bengal Employment Generation Incentive: 60% ESI/EPF Subsidy for Tourism, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

West Bengal Employment Generation Incentive: 60% ESI/EPF Subsidy for Tourism is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

West Bengal Employment Generation Incentive: 60% ESI/EPF Subsidy for Tourism is offered by Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.

Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.