Ahead of Investors’ Summit, CM tries to project Punjab as destination to be; kicks-off Mumbai Investment Roadshow to woo big biz

Chandigarh: As part of the state govt's strategic investment outreach, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday commenced a two-day ‘Mumbai Investment Roadshow'.The event was organised as a key pre-summit initiative ahead of the Progressive Punjab Investors' Summit 2026, scheduled to be held in Mohali from March 13-15.On the first day of the roadshow, the Punjab delegation held a series of high-level one-to-one meetings with senior leadership from prominent corporate groups, including Hindustan Unilever Limited, Motilal Oswal Group, Cargill India, Hinduja Group, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited, Waaree Group, Parksons Packaging, and Whistling Woods International.The discussions focused on exploring expansion and new investment opportunities in Punjab across sectors such as FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods), agri-business, food processing, energy, logistics, manufacturing, packaging, and creative industries, said an official spokesperson.The state's ‘FastTrack' single-window clearance system, time-bound approvals, Right to Business framework, policy stability, skilled manpower, and robust industrial infrastructure were highlighted during these interactions.Earlier in the day, the CM was hosted by Ashok P Hinduja, chairman, Hinduja Group. On the occasion, Mann formally released the book titled "Coins of the Kunindas (Punjab Region)", reflecting Punjab's rich historical and cultural heritage alongside its forward-looking economic vision.The 1st day concluded with a Punjab Roadshow session, which witnessed participation from senior industry leaders representing organisations 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 extended by the state, said the spokesperson.Addressing industry participants, CM Mann said this was the right time for investors to invest in Punjab. He emphasised that the state was well positioned to serve as a competitive manufacturing and services base, supplying not only domestic markets but also global value chains.The CM called upon industry to scale operations from Punjab, move up the value chain, and place greater focus on research and development to enhance innovation, productivity, and global competitiveness.He also reiterated the Punjab govt's commitment to enabling micro, small and medium enterprises to grow into large enterprises, strengthening manufacturing and services, and positioning Punjab as a preferred investment destination in north India through sustained reforms, infrastructure development, and proactive investor facilitation.The ‘Mumbai Roadshow' is aimed to formally extend summit invitations to leading industry stakeholders and deepen investment engagement with corporates, financial institutions, and sector leaders, while showcasing Punjab's reform-oriented, investor-friendly governance framework, said the spokesperson.Meanwhile, the CM claimed that the Hinduja Group had shown interest in investing in Punjab. During the meeting, Mann said: "Punjab is the best state in the country from the investment point of view, as it is credited with the best infrastructure facilities, surplus power, a pool of skilled manpower, excellent road, rail and air connectivity, a flawless telecommunication network and, above all, ease of doing business."MSID:: 127888669 413 |