OPINION | West Bengal needs an AI agenda, not just SIR debates

it is only fair to ask how West Bengal plans to ensure it does not miss boarding the AI bus

The election bugle has already been sounded in West Bengal.

Nothing better exemplifies this than the controversy generated around the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state, being conducted by the Election Commission of India ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

The debate over the SIR issue is unlikely to subside anytime soon. It is expected to remain a prominent part of political discourse well beyond the elections, where the incumbent government will seek a fourth term in power and the principal opposition party will aim for its maiden opportunity to govern West Bengal.

Beyond Electoral Rolls

Yet, amid all the discussions around SIR and the talk of possible inclusions or exclusions from the voting process, it would be worthwhile if both major political parties also shed light on how they envision West Bengal leveraging opportunities in a new economic order increasingly shaped by advancements in artificial intelligence.

Doing so would align with their stated focus on development and improving quality of life, especially since AI is the defining technology of our age, with the potential to fundamentally alter how we live and work.

AI as the Next Growth Engine

In April 2025, PwC noted that “AI has the potential to boost global economic output by up to 15 percentage points over the next decade,” effectively adding one percentage point to annual global growth—comparable to the gains witnessed during 19th-century industrialisation.

In October 2025, Google announced its largest investment in India—nearly $15 billion between 2026 and 2030—to establish its first global AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Two months later, Microsoft unveiled its largest investment in Asia of $17.5 billion over four years (CY 2026 to 2029) to strengthen India’s cloud and AI infrastructure, skilling, and operations.

At a time when other states are aggressively ramping up their AI ecosystems, it is only fair to ask how West Bengal plans to ensure it does not miss boarding the AI bus—or worse, is left trailing in a technology-driven growth cycle.

What Should an “AI Agenda” Look Like?

Nothing could be better than these parties, while talking on leveraging AI for hastening the pace of growth of the state, being as specific as possible on how they intend to go about the task, should they form the government. Political parties coming up with a detailed “AI Agenda” that has a focus on better delivery of citizen-centric services, MSMEs, and jobs, would be the expectation in this connection. The bulk of industrial units in West Bengal are micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Incidentally, in October, India’s federal think tank NITI Aayog had come up with an India-specific roadmap for job creation in the AI economy. Underlining the urgency for stakeholders to move rapidly on the implementation, the foreword to the NITI Aayog report stated, "By 2031, India’s technology sector stands at a crossroads: we could lose 1.5 million jobs or create up to 4 million new opportunities. The difference lies in the choices we make today."

West Bengal’s Untapped Advantage

Even as there can never be any question about the need to ensure that the electoral process in a democracy is free, fair, and transparent, and the resultant need for political parties to actively look into how the SIR process is functioning on the ground, that activity of theirs needs to go in parallel with what could be in the long-term developmental interests of the people.

Although it may have lost much of its manufacturing muscle over the decades, West Bengal still stands out for its many excellent educational institutions (the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta, Jadavpur University, etc.) and vast human talent, which could prove an asset while striving to make a mark in the AI arena.

Considering its existing tech infrastructure and good connectivity, a greater focus on AI could also limit the migration of intellectual capital from the state to other regions of India.

Moreover, sight must not be lost of the fact that there are multiple inherent challenges in attracting large manufacturing units to West Bengal, especially around acquiring large tracts of land for industrial use.

A New Year Imperative

The time to act on AI is now. West Bengal would do well to take a leaf from other states that are already positioning themselves for the next technological wave.

After all, it is only fair that West Bengal’s economic importance begins to match its political weight.

(Sumali Moitra is a current affairs commentator. X: @sumalimoitra.)

Views are personal, and do not represent the stance of this publication.