Industrial parks are powering India’s next wave of growth. They offer structured infrastructure, strategic locations, and a solid platform for MSMEs and startups. But there’s a quiet disruptor lurking in the background called disinformation.
Whether you’re looking to invest in land, explore industrial plots, or simply understand the ecosystem better, you need to know what’s real and what’s noise. The rise of digital media and half-baked narratives has made industrial park investments more vulnerable to falsehoods. Kolkata, one of the emerging industrial hubs, is no exception.
Let’s take a closer look at how disinformation affects industrial parks—and more importantly, how you can fight back.
The Many Faces of Disinformation
Disinformation around industrial parks often comes dressed up as facts. It may take the form of exaggerated promises, like claiming a project is 100% green or fully powered by renewables.
- Greenwashing: Promoting eco-friendly claims without backing them with action.
- Labour rights cover-ups: Hiding violations or forced acquisitions from the public.
- Astroturfing: Creating fake online support to sway opinions.
- Fake investor interest: Pretending a project is oversubscribed to drive hype.
In Kolkata, where dark stores, logistics hubs, and micro-warehousing are booming, disinformation can skew real demand. It can create a false urgency, or worse, drive away genuine MSME players who fear instability.
Why Disinformation Spreads Easily
Industrial projects, especially in high-stakes areas, often face an information vacuum. Official data may be limited or outdated. Opportunists exploit these gaps with targeted falsehoods, especially online.
- Social Media – Fake profiles, bots, and viral posts twist public opinion rapidly.
- WhatsApp Groups – Rumours spread like wildfire in closed communities.
- Unverified News Portals – Paid news often masks itself as journalism.
- Word-of-Mouth – Local influencers with limited facts can mislead entire communities.
- Manipulated videos – Fake testimonials can make anything look credible.
Most of the time, such claims are unverifiable or, worse, deliberately planted.
Yes. Not all, but some competitors may actively spread disinformation to pull down other projects. They exploit gaps in public knowledge, manipulate data, and twist facts to serve their agenda. For the average entrepreneur or small investor, this makes decision-making risky and unclear.
However, at Magna Star Industrial Parks, we truly offer single window clearances and transparent pricing with plenty of other project amenities. Competitors or activists may spread half-truths to damage credibility. But, the investors must always cross-check everything and then make an informed decision.
What Entrepreneurs and Investors Can Do
You can’t stop disinformation entirely, but businessmen owning industrial parks can neutralise its impact to some extent.
1. Build a Communication Shield
Speak before someone else does. Projects like Magna Star are setting a standard by actively sharing updates, timelines, and facts. A proactive social media strategy, updated websites, and community meetings go a long way.
2. Educate Your Audience
Many people can’t tell misinformation from disinformation. Use newsletters, social media, WhatsApp, and even news channels to help your target audience spot fake narratives. When people know how to fact-check, false claims lose power.
3. Partner with Trusted Voices
Collaborate with local influencers, business chambers, and respected journalists. For example, Magna Star’s endorsements from local MSME networks and industry leaders in Kolkata add credibility.
Also, Manafuli Industrial Park Pailan, one of the projects of Manafuli Group, was fortunate enough to collaborate with Rohit, a renowned real estate influencer in West Bengal.
4. Verify with Government Portals
Always cross-check land ownership, approvals, and zoning via state land records or industrial development websites. Several industrial parks have misleading claims that don’t match government listings. Magna Star, however, is state-approved under the SAIP scheme of West Bengal.
5. Single Window Clearance
The single window system exists to simplify business setup. If parks like Magna Star help you get all permissions from one platform, that’s a green flag. It reduces red tape and disarms rumour mills. But investors should pre-verify the conditions before making a deal.
6. Demand Transparent Documentation
This is one of the best ways to cancel out disinformation. From layout maps to environment clearances, everything should be accessible. Ask to see all the relevant documents of your selected plot and the development company to verify the authenticity of the promises.
7. Visit the Site
There’s no substitute for walking the ground. Whether you’re eyeing land for dark stores, warehousing, or a factory, see it yourself. At Manafuli Group, we say “jomi dekhe jomi kinun”. It means – See the land before you seal the deal.
Why It Matters More Than Ever
With Kolkata and West Bengal gaining traction as investment hubs, especially for MSMEs and logistics, clarity is critical. Investors want assurance. MSMEs want speed. Local communities want honesty.
Just imagine, if false rumours spread about a particular genuine industrial park, hundreds of MSMEs may back out for no reason. Hence, it is very necessary to know how to tackle disinformation.
Magna Star Industrial & Logistics Park and CWBTA Magna Business Park are proof that it’s possible to build parks that are both profitable and responsible. Located strategically on Durgapur Expressway, Magna Star is attracting regional interest.
In a Nutshell
Disinformation is a threat both to businesses and to growth itself. As more entrepreneurs look to invest in land and expand their operations, the stakes are high.
Don’t let falsehoods define the future. Industrial parks can power economies, but only if they’re built on facts, not fiction.