Punjab's Investment Surge: Hinduja Group Eyes Opportunities in Key Sectors

Punjab’s push to position itself as a global investment hub gained momentum on Tuesday as the Hinduja Group, one of the world’s leading diversified conglomerates, expressed strong interest in investing in the state. This interest follows detailed discussions with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, who presented Punjab as a stable, future-ready, and business-friendly destination. The Chief Minister highlighted the state’s expanding industrial footprint, policy reforms, and growing investor confidence, backed by investment proposals worth ₹1.5 lakh crore received since March 2022 and a roadmap spanning sectors from electric mobility to digital services.

During the meeting, Bhagwant Singh Mann emphasized that Punjab is the best state in the country for investment, citing strong infrastructure, surplus power, a skilled workforce, excellent road, rail, and air connectivity, a robust telecommunications network, and ease of doing business. He also noted that Punjab offers significant opportunities in electric vehicles, financial and digital services, cyber security, renewable energy, healthcare, real estate, strategic acquisitions, and other sectors.

Punjab has always been a land of resilience and enterprise, and the Hinduja Group could benefit from the state’s strengths, Mann added. He further stated that Punjab remains the Food Basket of India and contributes the largest share to the national grain pool. The state’s industrial journey has taken a dynamic turn, with Punjab becoming an industrial powerhouse in sectors such as food processing, textiles, auto components, hand tools, bicycles, information technology, and tourism.

Punjab’s industrial growth has acquired a global character, with investors from around the world recognizing its potential. Since March 2022, Punjab has received investment proposals worth ₹1.5 lakh crore with the potential to create more than 5.3 lakh jobs. This positions the state as an emerging hub for industrial growth and innovation. International companies such as Nestlé, Claas, Freudenberg, Cargill, Verbio, and Danone have established operations in Punjab, with investments coming from Japan, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, France, Spain, and other countries.

Punjab’s growth story is still in its early stages, and the state has become a preferred destination for both domestic and global investors. Recent engagements in Japan and South Korea have strengthened partnerships in advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, electronics, renewable energy, food processing, and sports science. Companies and institutions in Tokyo, Osaka, and Seoul expressed confidence in Punjab’s governance model, skilled workforce, and aftercare commitment. Learnings from global innovation hubs are being integrated into Punjab’s next phase of industrial development.

The Chief Minister highlighted that Punjab ranks as a Top Achiever in Ease of Doing Business and has launched the Fast Track Punjab Portal as a single-window system with more than 200 approvals and services, ensuring zero offline applications and fast-track approvals. The Punjab Right to Business Act provides in-principle approval within five days for eligible units up to ₹125 crore and includes time-bound clearances, deemed approvals, escalation mechanisms, and extended licence validity. Support mechanisms such as WhatsApp alerts, AI chatbots, and call centres ensure real-time responsiveness, while digital chief risk officer reports, extended validity of fire NOCs, and leasehold-to-freehold conversions simplify operations.

The partnership between government and industry underpins the New Industrial Policy of Punjab introduced in 2022, which was shaped in consultation with industry leaders. Twenty-four sectoral committees chaired by industry leaders have been constituted to frame sector-specific policies. Inviting industry leaders to the Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit 2026 from March 13 to 15 at Plaksha University, IT City, Mohali, the Chief Minister said the summit will bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to shape Punjab’s future industrial landscape.

Bhagwant Singh Mann commenced the two-day Mumbai Investment Roadshow as part of Punjab’s strategic investment outreach. The roadshow is a pre-summit initiative ahead of the Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit 2026. The roadshow aimed to extend summit invitations to industry stakeholders and deepen engagement with corporates, financial institutions, and sector leaders while showcasing Punjab’s investor-friendly governance framework.

On the first day, the delegation held one-to-one meetings with 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. Discussions focused on investment opportunities in FMCG, agri-business, food processing, energy, logistics, manufacturing, packaging, and creative industries. The FastTrack single-window system, time-bound approvals, Right to Business framework, policy stability, skilled manpower, and industrial infrastructure were highlighted.

Earlier, the Chief Minister was hosted by Ashok P. Hinduja, Chairman, Hinduja Group, and released the book Coins of the Kunindas (Punjab Region). The first day concluded with a Punjab Roadshow Session with participants from Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Steel, Accenture, UPL, Tynor, Whistling Woods, GrowthCap Ventures, and World Trade Center Mumbai. Industry representatives shared views on Punjab’s industrial potential and governance environment.

Addressing participants, the Chief Minister said it was the right time to invest in Punjab, and the state is well positioned as a manufacturing and services base for domestic and global markets. He called on industry to scale operations, move up the value chain, and focus on research and development. He reiterated the state government’s commitment to strengthening MSMEs, manufacturing, and services and positioning Punjab as a preferred investment destination in North India through reforms, infrastructure development, and proactive investor facilitation.