Punjab soon to emerge as next business hub in country, says CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said the state will soon emerge as the next business hub of the country as it has industry-friendly policies and a congenial atmosphere. He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating an animal feed factory set up by De Heus Animal Nutrition India, a fully-owned subsidiary of the Netherlands-based Royal De Heus here. Mann said the state government has taken several key initiatives, including ease of doing business, to facilitate industrial growth. Punjab has always been a land of resilience, enterprise, and rich heritage, he said, adding that the state is proud to be the food basket of India, contributing the largest share to the nation's grain pool. However, Mann said, in the last three years, there has been a paradigm shift in Punjab's industrial journey, which has taken a dynamic turn. Now the state is an industrial powerhouse, leading in sectors such as food processing, textiles, auto components, hand tools, bicycles, IT, tourism, and others, he stated. Since March 2022, the chief minister said, Punjab has received investment proposals worth Rs 1.23 lakh crores, with the potential to create over 4.7 lakh jobs, positioning the state as an emerging hub for industrial growth and innovation. The state is home to several prestigious global companies, including Nestle, Class, Freudenberg, Cargill, Verbio, and Danone, which have established operations here, according to him. These international companies recognise Punjab's potential and the conducive environment that the state provides for businesses to thrive, Mann said. The state's global reach is evident through investments from countries such as Japan, the US, Germany, the UK, the UAE, Switzerland, France, Spain, and others. After assuming the charge of office, the chief minister said that he created an investor-friendly ecosystem that promotes ease of doing business. Due to the industrial-friendly policies of the state government, Punjab today ranks as a top achiever in ease of doing business. On the animal feed factory set up by De Heus Animal Nutrition India, Mann said the company has invested Rs 150 crore in Punjab, which will benefit the state in the long term by opening new vistas of employment. He said this plant has zero-pollution technology, which will help the state to create a sustainable environment for all.