West Bengal Tourism Incentive Scheme — Up to ₹7.5L Grant — Frequently Asked Questions

Eligible units can receive a grant of up to ₹7.5 lakh, calculated at 50% of eligible project costs. The amount is paid as a State Capital Investment Subsidy and does not have to be returned.

No. The support comes as a grant, which is non-repayable, and the scheme does not require any equity or ownership stake in return.

New tourism projects and units, plus expansion projects of existing units, are eligible if they were set up 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 previous 2015 scheme because they lacked a bar licence, are also covered. Promoters may belong to the private sector, the co-operative sector, the joint sector, or be companies and undertakings owned or managed by the State Government.

Yes. Under the Capacity Utilisation component, approved mega tourism projects become entitled to additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR) beyond the maximum normally permitted limit. This allows greater construction and higher operational capacity, with the competent authorities deciding the extent of the extra FAR.

You need a detailed feasibility report or project report prepared for the purpose, and your project must be approved and sanctioned by a Central Financial Institution, a Commercial Bank or a State Financial Institution. You must also obtain a Registration Certificate, a Date of Commencement Certificate and an Eligibility Certificate from the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited.

Applications are filed online on the official Shilpasathi portal at https://silpasathi.wb.gov.in/. New users click 'Create New', choose their entity type, enter the registration number and complete user registration; existing users sign in with their User ID, password and Captcha. Once logged in, go to 'ALL SERVICES', tick the 'Tourism Incentive' service, click 'Create CAF' to generate your Common Application Form ID, then click 'Apply Online', fill in the form, attach the supporting documents, select the declaration checkbox and submit.

The portal sends notifications by SMS and email at the various stages, including submission, approval and rejection. You can also track the current position of your application on the 'Check status' page, and once the authority approves it you can download the approved Registration certificate using the 'Download Certificate' button.

The scheme remains valid until 31 December 2025, so applications need to be completed and submitted before that date.

There is an initial screening of the Common Application Form and the documents you upload, which verifies completeness and basic eligibility. The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited then evaluates the project and issues the mandatory Registration, Date of Commencement and Eligibility Certificates. The final grant of incentives depends on those certifications being completed and on approval by the competent authority.

It is administered by the Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal, and came into force on 22 February 2021.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for West Bengal Tourism Incentive Scheme — Up to ₹7.5L Grant, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

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