Small businesses in West Bengal: 92.7 lakh (unincorporated non-farm businesses). West Bengal has about 92.7 lakh small unincorporated businesses: 32.3 lakh in manufacturing, 20.5 lakh in trade and 39.9 lakh in other services.
Data last updated · Period: 2023-24
Understanding the chart
The bar chart above shows number of small businesses in West Bengal by sector, with one bar for each of the 3 figures. Each bar is labelled with its exact value, and values are businesses. The longest bar is the highest. The bars are, in order: Manufacturing at 32.3 lakh; Trade at 20.5 lakh; Other services at 39.9 lakh. The data table below the chart lists every value, and you can download the data, embed the chart or share it from the buttons above. The figures cover 2023-24 and come from MoSPI, ASUSE 2023-24 full report, Appendix A Tables 5, 34 and 38 (October 2023 to September 2024).
Key insights
- West Bengal ranks 2nd of 36 for the number of small businesses.
- Other services is the largest sector, with 43.0% of the state's small businesses.
- Manufacturing makes up 34.8% of small businesses here (India: 27.4%), trade 22.2% (India: 31.1%) and other services 43.0% (India: 41.5%).
- That is about 92.6 small businesses for every 1,000 people (India: about 52.0).
Analysis
Manufacturing (32.3 lakh) is 57% higher than Trade (20.5 lakh), a difference of 11.7 lakh. Manufacturing (32.3 lakh) is 19% lower than Other services (39.9 lakh), a difference of 7.6 lakh. Across the 3 bars, the highest is Other services and the lowest is Trade.
What it means
These figures help judge both opportunity and competition. Many small businesses in a sector or state signal steady local demand, but also crowded markets where price, location and service decide who wins customers. Higher value added per business suggests more room for profit and for paying workers. Owners typically use these benchmarks to set realistic sales targets and to check whether their own plan is in line with similar businesses.
Related figures
- Number of small businesses by state in India, 2023-24: 7.34 crore (India, unincorporated non-farm businesses). Uttar Pradesh has the most small unincorporated businesses, 93.8 lakh, followed by West Bengal and Maharashtra.
- Population of West Bengal, 2025 and 2030 projections: 10 crore (people, 1 March 2025 (projection)). West Bengal has a projected population of 10 crore in 2025, 37.6% of them in towns and cities, rising to 10.18 crore by 2030.
- Average monthly spending per person in West Bengal, 2023-24: ₹5,775 (urban, per person a month). People in urban West Bengal spend ₹5,775 a month each on average, and people in rural West Bengal ₹3,620, against ₹6,996 and ₹4,122 for India.
About this statistic
These figures come from MoSPI's Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE) 2023-24, which covers proprietorships, partnerships and other unincorporated businesses outside farming and construction: the shops, workshops, food stalls and service businesses that make up most of India's enterprises. Value added is what a business produces minus what it spends on materials and other inputs, before paying workers, rent, interest and the owner.
The survey is the best official picture of India's small businesses: how many there are, where, in which activities, and what they earn. Small survey samples are flagged, and averages can hide wide variation between businesses.
Questions and answers
What do the figures show for number of small businesses in West Bengal by sector?
92.7 lakh (unincorporated non-farm businesses). West Bengal has about 92.7 lakh small unincorporated businesses: 32.3 lakh in manufacturing, 20.5 lakh in trade and 39.9 lakh in other services.
How does West Bengal compare?
West Bengal ranks 2nd of 36 for the number of small businesses. Other services is the largest sector, with 43.0% of the state's small businesses.
Where does this data come from?
From MoSPI, ASUSE 2023-24 full report, Appendix A Tables 5, 34 and 38 (October 2023 to September 2024), covering 2023-24. Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (proprietorships, partnerships and similar), excluding construction and farming.
Data
| Sector | Businesses |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 32.3 lakh |
| Trade | 20.5 lakh |
| Other services | 39.9 lakh |
Source and notes
Source: MoSPI, ASUSE 2023-24 full report, Appendix A Tables 5, 34 and 38 (October 2023 to September 2024). Period: 2023-24. Coverage: West Bengal.
Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (proprietorships, partnerships and similar), excluding construction and farming.
Cite this statistic
Please also credit the original source: MoSPI, ASUSE 2023-24 full report, Appendix A Tables 5, 34 and 38 (October 2023 to September 2024).Related statistics
- Number of small businesses by state in India, 2023-24
- Population of West Bengal, 2025 and 2030 projections
- Average monthly spending per person in West Bengal, 2023-24
- Number of small businesses in Gujarat by sector, 2023-24
- Number of small businesses in Mizoram by sector, 2023-24
- Food products manufacturing in India: number of small businesses and earnings, 2023-24
- Wearing apparel (tailoring and garments) in India: number of small businesses and earnings, 2023-24
- Coke and petroleum products in India: number of small businesses and earnings, 2023-24
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