Tourism Promotion Assistance, West Bengal — 75% SGST Subsidy for 5 Years — Frequently Asked Questions

An eligible unit is supported at the rate of 75% of its State Goods and Service Tax (SGST), and that support runs for five years. Because the figure is calculated from the tax the business pays, the rupee value differs from one unit to another — the scheme does not publish a single fixed amount.

The scheme took effect on 22 February 2021 and stays valid up to 31 December 2025, which is effectively the closing date for applications.

Tourism projects and units set up on or after 22 February 2021 qualify, along with expansion projects of existing units. Hotel units that began commercial operations between 7 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 are also covered if they could not apply under the earlier 2015 scheme because their hotel had no bar. The owning entity can be private sector, co-operative sector, joint sector, or a State Government-owned and managed company or undertaking, and the project must be approved and sanctioned by a Central Financial Institution, a Commercial Bank, or a State Financial Institution.

No. This is a government subsidy granted in lieu of an interest subsidy, so it is non-dilutive — founders are not required to hand over any stake or shareholding in exchange for the assistance.

You need three documents from West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited: a Registration Certificate, a Date of Commencement Certificate and an Eligibility Certificate. Apply to the Managing Director, West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation, for the Eligibility Certificate once the Registration Certificate and the Date of Commercial Operation Certificate are in hand. Incentives are granted only after these are issued.

Applications go through the state's Shilpasathi portal. New users click 'Create New', choose their entity type — industry, business, commercial, charitable society or government entity — enter their registration number and complete the user registration details. Existing users simply sign in with their user ID, password and captcha. After logging in, open 'ALL SERVICES' from the dashboard and select 'Tourism Incentive'. Click 'Create CAF' to generate a CAF ID, then 'Apply Online', fill in the common application form, attach the relevant documents and click 'Save & Continue'. Review the form, tick the declaration checkbox and submit. Status updates arrive by SMS and email, and you can follow progress on the 'Check status' page. Once approved, the Registration Certificate can be downloaded from the online system.

The document list required for the Eligibility Certificate for tourism units is published on the official Shilpasathi portal. Go to the 'ALL Services' section, click on the Tourism Incentive service, and then click 'Apply Online' to view it.

The Directorate of Tourism and West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Limited (WBTDC Ltd) are the implementing agencies for the different components of the scheme.

No. The assistance is given at 75% of SGST irrespective of where the project is located within West Bengal.

Yes. Expansion projects of existing units that were set up on or after 22 February 2021 are covered alongside new tourism projects and units.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Tourism Promotion Assistance, West Bengal — 75% SGST Subsidy for 5 Years, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Tourism Promotion Assistance, West Bengal — 75% SGST Subsidy for 5 Years is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Tourism Promotion Assistance, West Bengal — 75% SGST Subsidy for 5 Years 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.