The North News
Chandigarh, November 26
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has called for deeper strategic cooperation with Japan across advanced manufacturing, mobility, electronics, food processing, renewable energy and global services, saying the partnership could play a key role in the state’s next phase of industrial growth. Mann, joined by Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora, held virtual talks with a high-level Japanese delegation comprising officials from the Embassy of Japan, JETRO, JCCII and more than 25 companies including Panasonic, Sumitomo, Nippon, NEC and Toyota yesterday. The meeting forms part of Punjab’s international outreach ahead of the 6th Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit scheduled for March 13–15, 2026 at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali.
Invest Punjab briefed the delegation on the state’s economic environment and its unified regulatory model, which consolidates powers of multiple departments into a single clearance mechanism. Mann said Punjab, long recognised for resilience, entrepreneurship and its contribution to India’s food security, is now positioning itself as a hub for modern industry, technology and global partnerships. He highlighted the state’s longstanding ties with Japanese companies and invited more firms to invest in Punjab’s industrial transformation.
He said Japanese companies already operating in the state — including Mazda, Sumitomo, SML Isuzu, Yanmar, Aichi Steel and Gunma Seiko in automotive and manufacturing — had demonstrated confidence in Punjab’s capabilities. Packaging and industrial players such as Toppan and Oji Holdings, chemical firms Kansai Nerolac and Nissan Chemical, and agriculture and machinery giants like Yanmar Agricultural Machinery and CLAAS India were also cited as examples of successful collaborations. Uniqlo’s presence in retail and Mitsui & Co.’s role in renewable energy further underline the scale of engagement, he added.
Mann stressed that Punjab aims to create more opportunities for young people and provide a stable, transparent environment for global investors. He noted that Punjab has been recognised as a “Top Achiever” in the Government of India’s 2024 Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP), reflecting improvements in ease of doing business and governance.
He said the government’s objective is to offer policy stability, faster decision-making and a partnership-based approach that supports industrial growth. Punjab, he added, is expanding infrastructure, strengthening industrial capacity and opening fresh avenues for investment.
Inviting Japanese companies to attend the 2026 summit, Mann said Punjab and Japan share values of “trust, quality and long-term commitment” and the state is determined to deepen economic and cultural ties.
Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora highlighted reforms such as the FastTrack Punjab digital platform, which offers over 200 government-to-business services with approvals guaranteed within 45 working days under auto-deemed clearance provisions. He said Punjab has attracted more than ₹1.39 lakh crore in industrial investments, generating 5.09 lakh jobs, and is upgrading its power infrastructure with an outlay of ₹5,000 crore.
Japanese and Indo-Japanese leaders, including representatives from Yanmar Holdings and TTC Group, praised Punjab’s skilled workforce and investment-friendly policies. JETRO and Embassy officials discussed further cooperation in manufacturing, logistics, renewable energy, digital transformation and agri-technology, along with plans for industry delegations and SME-focused partnerships.
