Punjab's Industrial Transformation: Strategic Reforms Yield Rs 1.50 Lakh Cr and 5 Lakh Jobs Ahead of 2026 Summit
Minister Sanjeev Arora said that the 6th Progressive Punjab Investors Summit-2026 is scheduled for March 13–15 in Mohali.
Punjab’s Industrial Transformation: Strategic Reforms Yield Rs 1.50 Lakh Cr and 5 Lakh Jobs Ahead of 2026 Summit
Minister Sanjeev Arora said that Punjab has secured Rs 1.50 lakh crore (approximately USD 19 billion) in investments under the AAP government, creating over five lakh jobs. This success reflects the state’s commitment to becoming a top industrial hub and a preferred destination for investors.
Major recent investments in Punjab include HMEL (Rs 2,600cr), Vardhman Steels (Rs 3,000cr), Trident Group (Rs 2,000cr), and IOL Chemicals (Rs 1,400cr). Other significant contributors are Happy Forgings (Rs 1,000cr), Veerka Beverages (Rs 987cr), Fortis Healthcare (Rs 900cr), and Amber Enterprises (Rs 500cr). Additionally, Toppan Speciality Films (Rs 300 - Rs 400 cr) and Infosys (Rs 285 cr) further strengthen the state’s industrial landscape.
Minister Sanjeev Arora said that the 6th Progressive Punjab Investors Summit-2026 is scheduled for March 13–15 in Mohali. This event is set to significantly strengthen the state's industrial ecosystem and provide a major boost to regional economic growth.
He said that recent visits to Tokyo, Osaka, and Seoul were highly successful. These international outreach efforts are expected to bring significant fresh investments and create new opportunities for foreign entrepreneurs. To assist investors, the state government ensures all industrial approvals are processed within 5 to 45 days, further streamlining the investment process.
Punjab achieved “Top Achiever” status in the Government of India’s Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP)-2024. Providing relief to industry and traders, the state introduced a 0.25% stamp duty on total loan amounts, covering all related instruments and capped at Rs 5 lakh. Furthermore, the registration fee for Equitable Mortgages was slashed from Rs 100,000 to just Rs 1,000.
The minister announced that the RTB Act 2.0 on the Punjab Invest portal now enables consolidated approvals in as little as five days. Furthermore, the compliance burden has been reduced by simplifying, digitizing, decriminalizing, and rationalizing 833 G2B and 1,702 G2C requirements. These updates significantly enhance the ease of doing business by streamlining processes and reducing regulatory hurdles.
Amendments to the Punjab Right to Business Act, 2020, now permit eligible enterprises to start or expand operations via self-declaration. In-principle approvals are issued within 5 to 18 days, with 2,000 units already approved. Additionally, the CLU process is simplified by removing requirements for standalone industries in permissible zones.
The minister added that 24 specialized sectoral committees, each chaired by a leading industrialist, are formed to guide the upcoming industrial policy. Following thorough consultations, all committees have submitted their reports. Consequently, a new, robust industrial policy is currently being finalized and scheduled for release by January 2026.
The government launched the “Rising Punjab – Suggestions to Solutions” series across Mohali, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Gobindgarh, and Khanna, facilitating direct industry input for policymaking. Additionally, the Chief Minister led outreach delegations to New Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
Punjab offers attractive incentives like SGST reimbursement, duty exemptions, and special incentives for MSMEs under the existing policy. Since March 2022, the state has issued Rs 29,933 crore in fiscal benefits to 1,145 units.
The minister concluded by announcing a long-awaited OTS scheme for allottees, resolving demands that have been pending for nearly thirty years. The scheme features a 100% penal interest waiver and an 8% simple interest rate. It also allows leasehold-to-freehold conversion and plot fragmentation, subdivision, and reorganization. Furthermore, an appellate authority was established for grievance redressal.