Punjab’s drive to establish itself as a global investment hub got a boost on Tuesday when Hinduja Group, one of the world’s leading diversified conglomerates, showed strong interest in investing in the state after detailed discussions with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Presenting Punjab as a stable, future-ready and business-friendly destination, the Chief Minister underlined the state’s growing industrial footprint, policy reforms and growing investor confidence, supported by investment proposals worth Rs. ₹1.5 lakh crore received from March 2022, and a clear roadmap for sectors ranging from electric mobility to digital services.
During the meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Punjab is the best state in the country from an investment point of view as it is credited with the best infrastructure, surplus power, a pool of skilled manpower, excellent road, rail and air connectivity, an impeccable telecommunication network and above all, ease of doing business.”
Elaborating on the opportunities available, the Punjab Chief Minister said that Punjab offers immense investment potential in sectors such as electric vehicles, financial and digital services, digital transformation and cyber security, renewable energy and sustainability, healthcare and social impact, industrial and real estate collaboration, strategic acquisitions and investments. “Punjab has always been a land of resilience, enterprise and rich heritage and Hinduja Group can greatly benefit from this,” he said. He said Punjab is proud to be the food basket of India and contributes the largest share to the country’s grain reserves.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that while Punjab has traditionally played a vital role in ensuring the food security of the country, the industrial journey of the state has now taken a dynamic turn. “Today, Punjab is an industrial powerhouse, leading in food processing, textiles, auto components, hand tools, bicycles, information technology, tourism and other sectors,” he said.
He said Punjab’s industrial development has acquired a global character, with investors from across the world recognizing the state’s potential. He said, “From March 2022, Punjab has received investment proposals worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore, with the potential to generate more than 5.3 lakh jobs, which will position the state as an emerging hub for industrial growth and innovation.”
Highlighting the trust reposed by global corporations, the Chief Minister said that Punjab is home to many reputed international companies, including Nestle, Klaas, Freudenberg, Cargill, Verbio and Danone, all of which have set up operations in the state and are contributing to its economic transformation. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “These international companies recognize the potential of Punjab and the conducive environment we provide for businesses to flourish.” He said the kingdom’s global reach is evident through investments from Japan, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, France, Spain and other countries.
The Chief Minister said that the development story of Punjab is just beginning. Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Punjab has indeed become a preferred investment destination not only for Indian investors but for investors from all over the world.” He informed that in recent months, the State Government has undertaken high level international engagements in Japan and Republic of Korea, further strengthening Punjab’s global engagement. “These engagements have opened up new avenues for collaboration in advanced manufacturing, electric vehicle mobility, electronics and display technologies, renewable energy, food processing and sports science,” he said.
Referring to the interaction with global industry leaders, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that leading companies and institutions in Tokyo, Osaka and Seoul have expressed strong confidence in Punjab’s governance model, the state’s skilled workforce and its commitment towards caring for the country. “The lessons learned from these global innovation hubs, be it Japan’s excellence in precision manufacturing and R&D or Korea’s dynamic models like Pangyo Techno Valley, are now being integrated into the next phase of Punjab’s industrial development,” he said, adding that the state has created an investor-friendly ecosystem that promotes ease of doing business.
The Chief Minister further said that Punjab ranks top in terms of ease of doing business and has launched the Fast Track Punjab Portal, which has been described as India’s most advanced single-window system. “The portal provides single entry and exit with over 200 government-to-business approvals and services, ensuring zero offline applications and fast-track approvals,” he said.
The Punjab CM said that through the Punjab Right to Business Act, the state provides in-principle approval within just five days to eligible units up to Rs 125 crore. “Punjab is the first state to introduce major regulatory reforms like time bound clearance within 45 days, deemed clearance, escalation mechanism and extended validity for key licenses,” he said.
Emphasizing on investor convenience, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that support mechanisms like WhatsApp alerts, Artificial Intelligence chatbots and call centers ensure real-time response. “Digital chief risk officer reports, extended validity of fire clearance certificates and leasehold-to-freehold conversion are further simplifying operations,” he said.
Reiterating the importance of collaboration, he said the partnership between government and industry is central to success. He said, “Industrial development can be achieved only when the government and industry work as equal partners.” He said that this principle underlies the new industrial policy of Punjab introduced in 2022.
The Chief Minister informed the industry leaders that the State has constituted 24 regional committees, each of which will be chaired by industry leaders, to formulate sector-specific policies. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “The state government is fully committed to building a partnership of equality, transparency and mutual cooperation with industries and businesses.”
Inviting industry leaders to the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit 2026 to be held at Plaksha University, IT City, Mohali, Punjab from March 13 to 15, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the summit will bring together industry leaders, policy makers and innovators. “It will serve as a platform to share ideas and collaborate in shaping the future industrial landscape of Punjab,” he said.
Punjab delegation led by CM Bhagwant Singh holds high-level meetings with major corporate and industry groups
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann today launched the two-day Mumbai Investment Roadshow as part of the Punjab Government’s strategic investment outreach. The road show was organized as a major pre-summit initiative ahead of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit 2026 to be held in Mohali on 13-15 March 2026.
The objective of the Mumbai Roadshow was to formally extend summit invitations to key industry stakeholders and deepen investment engagement with corporates, financial institutions and sector leaders, while showcasing Punjab’s reform-oriented, investor-friendly governance framework.
On the first day of the roadshow, the Punjab delegation held a series of high-level one-to-one meetings with senior leadership of major corporate groups including Hindustan Unilever Limited, Motilal Oswal Group, Cargill India, Hinduja Group, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited, Vari Group, Parksons Packaging and Whistling Woods International.
The discussion focused on exploring expansion and new investment opportunities in sectors such as FMCG, agri-business, food processing, energy, logistics, manufacturing, packaging and creative industries in Punjab. The state’s fasttrack single-window clearance system, time-bound approvals, right to do business framework, policy stability, skilled manpower and strong industrial infrastructure were highlighted during these interactions.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister was hosted by Hinduja Group Chairman Ashok P. Hinduja. On the occasion, the Chief Minister formally released the book titled “Coins of Cuindas (Punjab Region)”, which reflects the visionary economic vision of Punjab as well as its rich historical and cultural heritage.
The first day concluded with the Punjab Roadshow session, which saw strong participation from senior industry leaders representing leading organizations such as Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Steel, Accenture, UPL, Tynor, Whistling Woods, Growthcap Ventures and World Trade Center Mumbai. Industry representatives shared perspectives on Punjab’s industrial potential and highlighted the facilitative governance environment and responsive institutional support provided by the state.
Addressing the industry participants, the Chief Minister said that this is the right time for investors to invest in Punjab. He stressed that the state is well positioned to serve as a competitive manufacturing and services base, supplying not only domestic markets but also global value chains. The Chief Minister called upon the industry from Punjab to expand operations, move up the value chain and focus more on research and development to enhance innovation, productivity and global competitiveness.
The Chief Minister reiterated the commitment of the Punjab Government to enable micro, small and medium enterprises to grow into large enterprises, strengthen manufacturing and services and establish Punjab as a preferred investment destination in North India through continuous reforms, infrastructure development and active investor facilitation.
