West Bengal is the economic hub of Eastern India-resource-rich, well connected by land, air and sea routes to major global cities and the Pacific Rim. Location, raw material, integrated infrastructure, fund of talents, top-grade social and civic amenities and a core of hi-tech industries have placed West Bengal among the top destinations for investment.

Webel - The Nodal Agency for Electronics Industry The IT Company for The State of West Bengal.
Webel-West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation Limited - an undertaking of the Government of West Bengal, has grown quietly over the years, gathering insights and turning them into future oriented growth.
As the nodal agency for electronics industry development in the State of West Bengal, Webel's prime task was to create professional, world-class infrastructures and facilities, encourage entrepreneurship and establish institutions that would spearhead the future.
With the emergence of Information Technology, the world has changed at a tremendous pace. Webel is prepared to meet the challenges of change, with the State's inherent strengths and precious resources - quality education, quality people and quality services.
In today's service-driven global marketplace, Webel and West Bengal are uniquely qualified to provide the best support for enhancement of Information Technology, Electronics and Telecommunication. The State's IT Policy (Information Technology Policy West Bengal 2000) is a reflection of its deep involvement for the future. Webel has been named the IT Company of the State because of its role in attracting knowledge-based industries on a global scale and also in facilitating State-wide e-governance.

Infrastructure for Success
Webel's infrastructure building programme is designed to provide high technology companies with crucial start-up services and facilities.
Overlooking a vast lake, surrounded by trees, in a quiet, clean environment, SALTLEC is the first electronics industrial estate of its kind in India - a hi-tech industrial zone over an area of 150 acres, housing 160 companies and employing over 11500 people. Major enterprise from India and overseas, world-class institutions, training and research centres - all this came together to create some of the nation's most sophisticated infrastructures and systems.

Institutions
Besides the traditional Engineering Colleges, Webel has facilitated institutional support through hi-end Training Centres and Finishing Schools.
An important feature of Saltlake is the presence of major institution which include -

The Indian Institute of Information Technology - Calcutta (IIIT-C) is situated in Bidhannagar, Salt Lake, in the neighbourhood of the electronics complex.
Webel has also set up, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Webel Informatics Limited, a large number of training centres all over West Bengal for electronics and IT related literacy courses.

Ongoing Transformation
Webel's ongoing projects continue to be structured around sourcing global know-how and do-how, stronger state-level incentives for global partnerships, creating platforms for international interfacing, creation of large, quality human resources and enabled environments - and all that fulfils the needs and aspirations of knowledge-based enterprise and society.

Distance Learning - A Project Partnered With IBM
In a path-breaking collaboration with the world-leader IBM, Webel has launched the first-ever Distance Learning project for IT education, designed to meet the mounting requirement for industry-ready, IT-enabled professionals. The network connects education centres across the State for remote online learning. Powerful course contents are pumped through the network, using the advanced Lotus Learning Space Technology. Most importantly this distributed learning system will transform the way education is imparted.

Incubation Centre for IT and Telecom Entrepreneurs
Working in tandem with the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, Webel's newly set up Incubation Centre is designed to unlock the brilliance of ideas - of young men and women - and turn them into successful, commercial ventures. Workstations in a fully connected environment and professional mentoring and guidance for knowledge-based industries and business will help this transformation. Venture Capital Funding may be provided to successful incubates who come up with concrete and worthwhile business plans.

Venture Capital Fund
For the first time in Eastern India, Webel has set up a Venture Capital Fund to promote the 'first generation' entrepreneurs in IT.

Facilitating e-governance in West Bengal
This ambitious project envisages computerisation of government departments concerned with Finance, Labour, Transport, Tourism, Forestry, Environment and Pollution Control, Information and Cultural Affairs, Higher Education, Municipalities, Panchayats and Rural Development, Land and Land Reforms etc.
This includes GIS-based Information Systems for Municipalities - covering the three major constituents viz. Public Service Management, Fiscal Management and Policy Management.

GIS Based Municipal Information System
Pilot-projects for twenty-one municipalities are under implementation.
Public Interfaces through Info kiosks will have web-based and kiosk-based information on Higher Education, Tourism, etc.
In one word Webel has built on the inherent strengths of the State to create its own spirit of enterprise. Providing industry specific, area-specific services. Supporting new ventures. Facilitating e-Governance. Creating new knowledge workers. Promoting IT-literacy at all levels. Creating Space for Software Developers. Leveraging knowledge to be among the leading IT States in the Country.