Additional Incentive for Adventure Tour Operators, West Bengal — 60-100%

The Additional Incentive for Adventure Tour Operators is a sub-scheme carved out of the West Bengal Incentive Scheme 2021. It was notified by the Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal on 22 February 2021 and remains in force until 31 December 2025.

The parent scheme exists to put financial assistance behind tourism entrepreneurs, helping them build self-employed businesses and generate jobs along the way. This particular window narrows that intent to the adventure segment, where operators with proven visitor demand can recover part of what they spend on the equipment their business depends on.

Qualifying is not simply a matter of buying gear. A tourism unit has to show it has drawn more than 50 international tourists or more than 100 domestic inbound tourists within a single financial year, with SGST payments standing as proof of that traffic.

Units that clear the footfall test can claim reimbursement against tents, dinghies, adventure and sports equipment and related accessories. The share of the cost that comes back is decided by the area group the unit falls under, running from 60% in Group A up to 100% in Special Areas.

The scheme covers ventures in the private, co-operative and joint sectors as well as companies and undertakings owned or managed by the State Government, and it also opens a door for a specific set of hotel units that missed the earlier 2015 scheme.

• Adventure tour operators in West Bengal can recover 60% to 100% of equipment costs
• Rate is set by area group: Group A 60%, B 70%, C 80%, D 90%, Special Areas 100%
• Requires more than 50 international or 100 domestic inbound tourists in a financial year, verified through SGST payments
• Reimburses tents, dinghies, adventure and sports equipment, and related accessories
• Open until 31 December 2025
• Applications are filed online through the Shilpasathi portal

Eligibility turns on when the unit was set up, how it is owned, and whether its paperwork and finances are in order.

• Tourism projects, tourism units and expansion projects established on or after 22 February 2021.
• Hotel units that started commercial operations between 7 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 but could not apply under the earlier 2015 scheme because of the absence of a bar.
• Ventures in the private, co-operative or joint sectors, along with companies and undertakings owned or managed by the State Government.
• The project must be backed by a detailed feasibility report.
• The project needs approval and sanction from a Central Financial Institution, a Commercial Bank, or a State Financial Institution.
• The unit must hold a Registration Certificate, a Date of Commencement Certificate and an Eligibility Certificate, all issued by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited.
• For the additional incentive itself, the unit must have attracted over 50 international tourists or 100 domestic inbound tourists in a financial year, verifiable through SGST payments.

Additional Incentive for Adventure Tour Operators, West Bengal — 60-100% is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

The most recent application window for Additional Incentive for Adventure Tour Operators, West Bengal — 60-100% closed on 31 Dec 2025. Many programmes run repeat cohorts, so it is worth checking the official site for the next round.

The support here works as a reimbursement rather than money paid up front. Operators are compensated for spending they have already incurred on tents, dinghies, adventure and sports equipment, and related accessories, which in effect lowers the net cost of upgrading their kit.

The reimbursement rate is not uniform. It is fixed by the geographical classification of the area where the eligible unit operates:

• Group A — 60% of the cost
• Group B — 70%
• Group C — 80%
• Group D — 90%
• Special Areas — 100%

Because the rate follows the area group, the payout varies from unit to unit, and the final figure also depends on the actual cost of the equipment purchased. The scheme does not publish a flat rupee amount.

As a reimbursement-based subsidy, the incentive is non-dilutive — it does not take an equity stake in the business. The offer is delivered as cash support, alongside incubation support and facilitation in accessing grants.

Additional Incentive for Adventure Tour Operators, West Bengal — 60-100% is offered by Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, a government body. As a government-backed subsidy, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

Applications are reviewed and approved by the relevant authority within the Department of Tourism and the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited.

A unit's eligibility is assessed against a set of criteria: the detailed feasibility report it submits, the approval and sanction its project has secured from a financial institution, and whether the tourist footfall benchmarks have been met.

Three certificates act as gateway stages before any incentive is paid out — the Registration Certificate, the Date of Commencement Certificate and the Eligibility Certificate. Only once all arrangements and legal requirements are satisfied does the final disbursement of the incentive take place.

Before you apply to Additional Incentive for Adventure Tour Operators, West Bengal — 60-100%, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.