
MP CM to woo Punjab investors in city roadshow on July 7
" Accompanied by his state's investment promotion team, he will meet top industrialists and business leaders.
The initiative is part of Madhya Pradesh's ongoing "Udyog Evam Rojgar Varsh" (Industry and Employment Year), under which the state has launched a campaign to position itself as a leading destination for industrial investment. Similar roadshows have already been held in major industrial hubs like Bengaluru and Surat earlier this year.
Some of Ludhiana's major players have already made significant investments in Madhya Pradesh over the past decade or so.
As per sources, formal invitations and personal calls have been extended to a host of Ludhiana's top industrialists and industry association heads for the July 7 session. One-on-one meetings have also been scheduled between CM Yadav and select business leaders.
Among those invited for the roadshow and interaction are Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertaking (CICU) president Upkar Singh Ahuja; FICO president Gurmeet Singh Kular; the president of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), Harish Dua; the president of Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), S C Ralhan; Monte Carlo executive director Sandeep Jain; and the chairperson of Hero Cycles Sunil Kant Munjal.
Gurmeet Singh Kular confirmed that one-on-one meetings between industry leaders and CM Yadav have been lined up. He said that they are offering attractive incentives, including ease of doing business, plug and play models, and more would be outlined on the day. He said one of the offers being promised is affordable land prices, and more would be shared on the day.
CII Punjab chairperson Amit Jain said: "The MP govt has been proactive in reaching out to Punjab's industry leaders.
They are offering subsidies, low land rates ease of doing business. It's something the Punjab govt must take note of. While others are attracting investments, the govt here must learn not only for environment for growth but also attract investment."
However, such gestures by other states like Madhya Pradesh have also stirred unease among local stakeholders. Many believe that while Punjab is losing its competitive edge, other states are moving ahead with clear industrial policies and business-friendly frameworks.
"We are already lagging far behind other states in growth and development of industry. The fact that other states are aggressively wooing our industry is not a good sign for Punjab," a prominent industry leader said. "It's a paradoxical situation, as our industry began, grew and wants to grow here in Punjab, but better opportunities are being offered outside."
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