Business flight: 6,688 firms left West Bengal since 2011; Here's where they went

A total of 6,688 companies have relocated their registered offices from West Bengal to other Indian states between April 1, 2011 and March 31, 2025, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Tuesday. The ministry said that these companies shifted base to states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and others over the 14-year period.

"The number of companies that have relocated their registered office from West Bengal to other States in the country during the period from 1st April, 2011 to 31st March, 2025 is 6,688," the ministry stated. Of these, 1,308 companies moved to Maharashtra, 1,297 to Delhi, 879 to Uttar Pradesh, 511 to Chhattisgarh, and 423 to Gujarat.

The disclosure drew a sharp response from BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya, who accused the Trinamool Congress government of failing to retain businesses in the state. "6,688 Companies Left West Bengal in the last 14 Years!" Malviya posted on X, referring to the Mamata Banerjee-led government. "Under the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee, 6,688 companies have relocated their registered offices from West Bengal to other Indian states between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2025."

He also highlighted that 110 of these were listed firms. "Out of the 6,688 companies that left West Bengal, 110 were listed on the stock exchange at the time of their relocation," Malviya said.

Calling it a "mass exodus", he alleged that the figures "paint a grim picture of the state's industrial climate under TMC rule." He said, "While Bengal once stood as a hub for enterprise, poor governance, policy instability, and lack of investor confidence have driven companies away."

Malviya also shared a year-wise breakdown of the period when the highest number of companies exited West Bengal. In 2015–16, 869 companies moved out of the state, followed by 918 in 2016–17, and a peak of 1,027 companies in 2017–18. He added that apart from Maharashtra and Delhi, states such as Rajasthan, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana "also attracted hundreds of companies."

"This isn't just a number-it represents lost jobs, economic decline, and shrinking investor confidence in West Bengal. It's time to ask: Who is accountable for this economic migration?" Malviya asked.