JSW outlines ₹50,000 crore Bengal investment plan as power and ports feature in talks

JSW Group chairman Sajjan Jindal discussed investment plans estimated at ₹50,000 crore with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Nabanna, the state secretariat in Kolkata, on 4 November 2026. Jindal put the power component at ₹40,000 crore, or four-fifths of the total, with the remaining ₹10,000 crore envisaged for other businesses. The talks covered power generation, power systems, ports, cement and steel.

At their first meeting since Adhikari took office, the two also discussed the next stage of JSW’s power investment at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district. Adhikari said Jindal had indicated that a groundbreaking ceremony for a second power unit was planned for the first week of January 2027, following a public hearing expected in December.

What is JSW building at Kolkata Port?

Ports featured in the talks as JSW Infrastructure reported progress on two container projects at the Kolkata Dock System. In its latest quarterly results, the company said it had signed a 30-year concession for the Kolkata Outer Container Terminal and begun interim operations at the separately awarded Kolkata Container Terminal. Together, the projects are expected to give JSW capacity to handle approximately 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually at Kolkata once both developments are complete.

The first contract, awarded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority in July 2025, covers reconstruction of Berth 8 and mechanisation of Berths 7 and 8 at Netaji Subhas Dock. JSW estimated capital expenditure at ₹740 crore and final capacity at 450,000 TEUs a year. The concession allows the company to handle containers while construction proceeds.

The second award, secured in June 2026, brings two Outer Container Terminal berths and five berths at Netaji Subhas Dock under one development plan. JSW expects to deliver approximately 930,000 TEUs of annual capacity in two phases. The company said mechanisation would help ease existing berth constraints and shorten the time ships spend in port.

How does Salboni fit into the ₹40,000 crore power plan?

JSW Energy began construction of its initial 1,600-megawatt (MW) thermal power project at Salboni in April 2025. The ₹16,000 crore plant comprises two 800 MW generating units. West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited has contracted the plant’s entire output for 25 years, and the project will use domestic coal allocated to the state.

The group subsequently outlined plans to take Salboni’s generating capacity to 3,200 MW, bringing the envisaged power investment to approximately ₹40,000 crore. The foundation stone for an industrial park at Salboni was also laid alongside the original power project in April 2025.

How has JSW’s industrial presence in Bengal evolved?

JSW’s plans for Salboni date to a 2007 agreement for an integrated steel, power and cement complex estimated at ₹35,000 crore. The proposed steelworks was designed to reach 10 million tonnes a year in phases. JSW Steel subsequently placed it on hold, citing uncertainty over iron ore and coal supplies after the cancellation of allocated coal blocks.

Cement production took root at the site. JSW Cement reported installed grinding capacity of 3.6 million tonnes a year at Salboni for 2024–25. The plant serves West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and parts of Odisha, giving the group an established industrial customer base in eastern India alongside its newer investments in electricity generation and container handling.