Introductory Memo
Once upon a time, West Bengal was a benchmark and not a cautionary tale. Post-independence, many Indian states were economically struggling. However, West Bengal held the third-largest share of India's national GDP at approximately 10.5% in the 1960s. Its per capita income was at 127.5% of India’s national average. Mumbai is the country’s commercial nerve centre now. Back then, it was Kolkata. The Port of Kolkata, India’s oldest port, handled more container traffic than Mumbai. West Bengal was India’s industrial powerhouse. Over the years, sadly, the story took a very different turn.