Punjab Newsline | Dubai
Punjab Industries and Commerce Minister Aman Arora has invited UAE investors, global businesses and the Punjabi diaspora to invest in the state, highlighting up to 125% fiscal incentives, fast-track approvals and end-to-end investor support under the Industrial and Business Development Policy-2026.
Addressing investors and business leaders at the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) in Dubai, Arora said Punjab offers a strong combination of industrial infrastructure, skilled manpower, entrepreneurship, agricultural strength, strategic connectivity and a large consumer market.
He said the new policy provides a flexible incentive framework for different investor categories and priority sectors, along with seamless facilitation through the Invest Punjab single-window platform.
“Punjab is open for business and ready for investment. We want investors to see Punjab not just as a market, but as a strategic partner for manufacturing, food processing, technology, logistics and global business operations,” Arora said.
Under the policy, eligible manufacturing units can receive fiscal incentives of up to 100% of eligible Fixed Capital Investment (FCI). Units operating in priority sectors, Border Districts and Kandi areas can avail incentives of up to 125% of FCI, subject to an overall ceiling of Rs 500 crore.
The key benefits include capital subsidy of up to 20% of eligible FCI, capped at Rs 10 crore, reimbursement of 75% of Net SGST for the eligible period and 100% exemption from Electricity Duty for eligible new units and existing units undertaking expansion, subject to applicable conditions.
Arora said the policy also provides employment-linked support and promotes investment in priority and emerging sectors. The incentives are available not only for new projects but also for the expansion and modernisation of existing industrial units.
Minister said Punjab is particularly keen to attract UAE investments in food processing and agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, textiles, IT/ITeS, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), data centres, renewable energy, emerging technologies and skill development.
Highlighting Invest Punjab, Arora said the platform provides a unified system for regulatory approvals, incentives and investor handholding. Investors can submit applications, access regulatory services, track approvals and receive project-specific assistance digitally.
He said the state aims to make the investment process predictable, transparent and hassle-free, enabling investors based in Dubai to engage with Punjab digitally and receive dedicated facilitation throughout the investment lifecycle.
Arora also highlighted the upcoming 1,100-acre Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Rajpura on the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) as a major opportunity for manufacturing and allied industries. The project is expected to attract significant investment and create large-scale employment.
