West Bengal Budget: Cloud Kitchen Plan to Help Women Earn from Home

West Bengal's newly elected BJP government is set to introduce a cloud kitchen policy aimed at enabling women to convert their home kitchens into formal businesses, according to the state budget speech delivered by Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta on Monday.

Dasgupta highlighted the formalisation of unpaid domestic labour as a key economic driver. "Encouraging household women to convert their home kitchens into cloud kitchens can significantly boost the economy," he said. "This model turns everyday cooking skills into paid, productive activity with minimal investment, leveraging existing home infrastructure and low entry barriers."

The policy is part of a broader set of welfare schemes targeting women's empowerment, fulfilling promises from the BJP's election manifesto. The government plans to provide training and support to help women establish cloud kitchens, which operate on a delivery-only model without a dine-in facility.

Experts note that similar initiatives in other states have helped women gain financial independence, though success depends on effective implementation and market access. The budget also announced other measures for women, including skill development programmes and microcredit schemes.

The announcement comes amid debates on women's workforce participation in India, which has seen a decline in recent years. Formalising home-based work is seen as a step towards recognising unpaid labour in economic statistics.