Economy of Kolkata

Kolkata is the main business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India and the main port of communication for the North-East Indian states. Kolkata is home to India's oldest, and also India's second-largest stock exchange company (bourse) – The . Kolkata is home to a major port, an international airport and many nationally and internationally reputed colleges and institutions aimed at supplying a highly skilled work force. Kolkata is also home to India's and South Asia's first metro railway service – Kolkata Metro.

There are a few of the oldest and front line banks and PSUs in India—such as Uco Bank, Allahabad Bank, United Bank of India and Tea Board of India—were founded and is headquartered in Kolkata. The oldest operating photographic studio in the world, Bourne & Shepherd, is also based in the city. The Standard Chartered Bank has a major branch in Kolkata.

Kolkata was the capital of the British Indian Empire until 1911. Throughout British Raj, the city was a major port and commerce center in world economy. The Partition of India in 1947 was a major blow to the once flourishing economy during the world wars, it removed most of the hinterland, cutting down the supply of the human resource and a took away a huge portion of its market. Also the huge inflow of refugee from East Pakistan, Bihar, Jharkhand was a major drain to the city's infrastructure which was inadequate for the population boom. In the 1970s, the city saw a predominance of the trade-union movements which led the investors to flow out of the state to other newly emerging destinations in India. As the investors lacked trust in the newly formed communist government, the lack of capital destroyed most of its small-scale industries like foundrys and tool casting.

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