Bengal’s Durga Puja eco hits Rs 65,000cr, 70% biz from Kol

Kolkata: is estimated to have touched Rs 65,000 crore in Bengal this year — Kolkata contributing 65%-70% — despite record rainfall in the run-up to the festival and sales hitting a sudden pause ahead of GST 2.0 rollout. Economist Ajitava Raychaudhuri said business transactions in terms of value grew at least 8%-10% during this year's puja compared to last year.An official study conducted by British Council in 2019 had pegged Kolkata's Durga Puja economy at about Rs 33,000 crore. Last year, puja business was Rs 55,000-57,000 crore, and industry insiders had expected it to surpass Rs 70,000 crore this year. But the rain and GST bumps hit traditional markets even though malls and food & beverage witnessed handsome growth.The 2019 study had put economic activity during puja in and around Kolkata at 2.6% of Bengal's GSDP; overall it was 4% of the state's GSDP.The 2,500-odd Durga Puja committees in Kolkata together spent an estimated Rs 200 crore this year on idols, decorations, illuminations and rituals, said Forum for Durgostav founder-member Partha Ghosh. For the entire state, the figure is estimated to be about Rs 450 crore. The money splurged sustains artisans, craftsmen, labourers and small businesses for months.The big earner was F&B sector, with restaurants witnessing 20%-25% surge in footfall. "Revenue from restaurants was between Rs 1,200 crore and Rs 1500 crore, 60% of it from Kolkata," said HRAEI president Sudesh Poddar.Restaurateurs Anjan Chatterjee and Siddharth Kothari said there was record turnout at their outlets throughout puja.The eight major malls in Kolkata did a cumulative business of Rs 900 crore, 8%-10% more than last puja. Mall operators said the growth would have been higher had the puja been in mid-Oct as pre-puja sales overlapped with end-of-season sale."The growth in business was respectable this year due to the spurt in demand in late Sept," said Ramesh Pandey of Ambuja Neotia, which operates the two City Centre malls. Acropolis Mall recorded a 10%-15% increase in footfall compared to last year and a proportional rise in sales. "We expect higher footfall and stronger sales next puja," said Merlin Group corporate GM (hospitality and mall) Subhadip Basu. South City Mall executive director Amit Kumar said the mall had witnessed record footfall and sales over the past month.But traditional markets took a 20% dip in earnings due to consistent rain in the run-up to puja and online shopping trends. According to Confederation of West Bengal Trade Associations, total earnings from puja shopping at Gariahat, Hatibagan and New Market stood at Rs 800 crore."In the beginning of Sept, there was a lull as many people deferred their purchases to avail of the new GST benefits," said Sushil Poddar, president of Confederation of West Bengal Trade Associations.Vivek Jalan of Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, "In some sectors, the one-month puja sale is around 25% of annual sales."Inputs from Prithvijit Mitra and Kaushik Pradhan Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Karwa Chauth 2025, quotes and Messages !