West Bengal Leads India in Women’s MSME Workforce Accounts for 12.73% Nationwide: Minister of State Department of Labour & PHE

West Bengal leads the country in female workforce participation in the MSME sector, accounting for 12.73 per cent of all women workers employed in MSMEs nationwide said Shri Bhaskar Bhattacharya, Hon’ble Minister, State Department of Labour & PHE, Government of West Bengal on the 20th edition of Safety Symposium and Exhibition initiated by CII in Kolkata.

Referring the fact that the State accounts for 16.02 per cent of all Indian MSME manufacturing enterprises and 13.09 per cent of ‘other services’ MSMEs, he further added that West Bengal have the highest share of women-headed MSMEs in the country, at 36.4 per cent.

Talking about the safety ecosystem, Mr Bhattacharya said that focus should be on moving from a reactive approach to a preventive. Regular risk assessments, preventive maintenance, safety audits, near-miss reporting, emergency preparedness and continuous worker training must become part of everyday industrial management.

He further mentioned that the regulatory framework in the State is also evolving. The Government of West Bengal issued the Draft West Bengal Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026. The draft provides the proposed State-level framework for implementing the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.

Advocating for a stronger safety framework, Mr Kapil Modi, Managing Director, Jamshedpur Continuous Annealing & Processing Company Pvt Ltd. emphasised the need for physical barriers between human and hazards. He stressed that risks with the potential to cause fatalities must be identified and addressed.

Mr. Modi further highlighted the role of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics in identifying, assessing and mitigating workplace risks, thereby strengthening industrial safety and preventing accidents.

Highlighting the fact that good safety is good business, Mr Rajiv Mangal, Chairman, CII Eastern Region Safety Subcommittee & Vice President Safety, Health & Sustainability Tata Steel Ltd outlined the importance of MSME inclusiveness in the safety framework in the journey towards achieving Viksit Bharat.

Mr Anupam Misra Co Chairman, CII Eastern Region PSE Subcommittee and Chairman & Managing Director Hindustan Copper Ltd emphasised the importance of ethical compliance and organisational commitment towards workplace safety.

He highlighted the role of sensor-based algorithms in generating timely alerts, while stressing the need for regular safety campaigns, emergency drills and observance of Safety Week to enhance awareness and promote a strong safety culture among workers.

Emphasizing the healthcare’s guiding principle of “do no harm”, Mr Rupak Barua Chairman CII West Bengal State Council & Managing Director & CEO Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital Ltd, highlighted the importance of checklists, clear handovers, regular emergency drills and a workplace culture that encourages people to speak up.

He also mentioned the need for climate-resilient industrial planning, continuous upgradation of legacy assets and wider MSME participation in strengthening HSE excellence.

The CII Compendium of Good Practices on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) 2025 was unveiled. An accompanying exhibition also drew participation from and witnessed significant footfall of key stakeholders from across the industry.