Punjab pitches investor-friendly ecosystem at AIM Congress

Punjab is pitching itself as an investor-friendly region at the AIM Congress in Dubai, highlighting its various strengths to attract global investment. Aman Aroa, the Cabinet Minister of Punjab, emphasized the state's strategic location and connectivity, mentioning its proximity to major northern Indian markets and links to ports and Delhi NCR through dedicated freight corridors.

The state offers a combination of industrial infrastructure, skilled labor, investor incentives, and streamlined approvals, making it an attractive destination for sectors such as technology, manufacturing, agriculture, aerospace, defense, and tourism. Punjab boasts a strong agricultural base, an established manufacturing sector, and a fast-growing technology industry.

The Chandigarh-Mohali region, in particular, is emerging as a hub for technology and global capability centers. Aroa also pointed to the 1,100-acre Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Rajpura, which is expected to attract significant investment and create numerous jobs. The state's Industrial and Business Development Policy 2026 offers investors up to 125% of fixed capital investment incentives, along with exemption from stamp duty and electricity duty.

Punjab's FastTrack Punjab initiative aims to expedite business setup through a unified investment facilitation mechanism and an online single-window system providing access to over 200 government services. The state has received investment proposals worth $15.87 billion since 2022 and was named a Top Achiever in the Government of India's Ease of Doing Business 2024 assessment.

Notable companies operating in Punjab include Nestle, Tata Steel, Amazon, and Dubai-based Sharaf Group.