Batanagar

Batanagar was established in 1934 by Czechoslovak industrialist Tomas Bata when he built his first shoe factory in India. Still in production today, most of the factories employees still live in the surrounding area of the specially built 'Bata-ville'. Its location next to the river and its proximity to Kolkata has recently attracted real estate developers to build a new township at Batanagar.

The Bata factory has multiple capabilities and produces a wide variety of shoes. Apart from the factory, shoe making is also a predominant cottage industry and several homes have a small shoe manufacturing unit.

A little known fact about this town is that it has been home to several great footballers who played at the national and international levels. It is common to still find boys playing a game of football in the vast grounds.

The landscape of this area is rapidly changing with the proposed satellite township development and high-rise apartments are replacing the older Bata houses.