2-day Progressive Punjab Investors Summit (PPIS) begins

SAS Nagar (Mohali), December 5, 2019: Top domestic and global industries are showcasing their products at the Exhibition inaugurated by Punjab Industries Minister Sham Sunder Arora on Thursday morning to kickstart the 2-day Progressive Punjab Investors Summit (PPIS) at the Indian School of Business, S.A.S Nagar (Mohali).
Leading players like ITC, Trident, Sonalika, Hero Electric Vehicle Pvt. Ltd, Cremica had put their products on display at the exhibition, which has designated stalls for MSMEs and Startups, according to an official spokesperson.
Prominent among the MSMEs participating in the exhibition are Gilard Electronics Pvt. Ltd, Falcon Garden Tools Pvt. Ltd, Tynor Orthotics Pvt. Ltd, Shri Ram Panels Pvt. Ltd, Windsor Industries Pvt. Ltd.
A special attraction in this sector was Allengers Medical System, a unit set up at Derabassi, for supply of medical equipment to major hospitals like AIIMS, Safdarjung, and Ram Manohar Lohia in New Delhi, PGIMER and GMCH in Chandigarh, in addition to all Punjab Government hospitals. The company claims 36% share of the total radiology equipment, especially X ray machines, in hospitals in the whole of India.
Another highlight is the display of AM International, a Jalandhar-based unit showcasing sports products like Rugby balls and sports garments, and having the distinction of having supplied Rugby balls for the Rugby World Cup, 2019, held in Japan in November.
One of Asia’s largest cooperative federation, Punjab Markfed, is showcasing its flagship food products such Sohna Bottled Products, Ready to eat cooked food products, Mixed Fruit jam, Sohna Atta, Natural Honey, Tomato Ketchup etc.
The Punjab Government is also displaying its achievement and policies under its Ghar- Ghar Rozgar & Karobar Mission, to encourage promising entrepreneurs to set up units in the state.
One corner in the exhibition area has been set aside for budding startups to showcase their products. Some of the startups have also displayed their environment friendly products, such as Texfab Ltd’s garment products made by recycling the waste plastic bottles. Similarly, Windsor Industry, Kurali, has exhibited biodegradable and compostable table ware products.

CAPT AMARINDER PROMISES SAFE AND STABLE ENVIRONMENT TO INDUSTRY & INVESTORS IN PUNJAB
SAS Nagar (Mohali), December 5, 2019: Asserting his government’s commitment to providing industry with a safe and stable environment for growth and investment, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday sent out a stern warning to Pakistan, as well as to anti-social elements within the state, against any attempt to destabilise Punjab.
“Behave, or else be prepared for the consequences,” the Chief Minister warned the neighbouring country, as well as any gangsters or goondas trying to disturb the peaceful environment of the state, which offers industry a highly congenial environment for development.
During an interactive discussion during the keynote session on the first day of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit (PPIS) 2019, Captain Amarinder said he had issued clear directions to the Punjab Police to handle any internal or external threat with an iron hand. On Pakistan’s recent attempts to create trouble in Punjab, he said they had been successfully pushed back by the police, which had neutralised the various groups infiltrated into the state by the Pak Army backed ISI.
“Pakistan has its own problems, but I won’t let them make their problems my problem,” asserted the Chief Minister, pointing out that 28 terror modules had been busted and more than 100 ISI-backed terrorists had been arrested by the Punjab Police in the last two years. “We will not let them mess around with us,” he declared.
Captain Amarinder said he believed that while Imran Khan wanted peace, the Pak Army, in its desperation to remain relevant, was calling the shots and obstructing any efforts for peace. But they have to understand that they, and their country, are doomed if they do not change their ways, he said, adding that the Pak Army will have to “play ball” if they have to feed their people and save their country.
In an equally strong warning, the Chief Minister said eliminating gangsterism was a priority for this government. Either they (gangsters and goondas) lay down arms, or they will have to face the consequences, he warned, pointing out that not only had his government come down heavily on such elements but had also abolished truck unions to provide a safe environment for industry to operate.
Steps were also being taken to ensure women safety so that women could take up industrial jobs and do night shifts, said Captain Amarinder, adding that any woman could call the police for safe transportation back home not only at night but even if she felt threatened or unsafe in any way, any time of the day.
Citing the various other measures taken by his government to facilitate industrial development, which he dubbed as imperative for the state’s progress, Captain Amarinder said the focus was on providing the right environment to investors and industry to promote Punjab as a preferred destination. The industrial policy brought out in 2017 had plugged the weaknesses that existed earlier, he said, adding that the ease of doing business resulting from single-window clearances, online applications and approvals, subsidy on industrial power, amendments to key legislations related to business and industry, as well as water regulation, were facilitating investors in a big way. Punjab does not have labour problems, he further noted, terming the state’s educated and committed workforce a major asset for industry.
Underlining the need to shift people from agriculture to industry, in view of the surplus production that was making agriculture non-viable for them, the Chief Minister said that by providing the right avenues for employment, industry could also help check the migration of Punjab’s youth to other countries. His government, on its part, was promoting skill development to boost employability, he added.
The Chief Minister stressed on the need to provide continuity to industry to encourage them to invest and expand in Punjab. For this, it is essential not to indulge in political vendetta with the opposition and ensure that any party coming to power maintains the same policy approach to industry, he added. Stability was a key component of providing an enabling environment for industrial growth, he said, hoping that the next government that takes over in Punjab also adopts this philosophy.
On the issue of air pollution triggered by stubble burning, the Chief Minister reiterated his stand that the Centre would have to pitch in to find a permanent solution to the problem. He stressed on the need for the central government to add compensation of Rs 100/quintal to the MSP to check stubble burning, and also underscored the importance of crop diversification in the long term to eliminate the problem. He would again raise the issue with the Prime Minister during their next meeting, he said, adding that if it is made worthwhile for them, farmers would definitely shift from wheat and paddy to other crops, just like they had, back in the sixties, moved to paddy cultivation.
This, said Captain Amarinder, was also vital to put an end to the wastage and the economic burden resulting on the state from the surplus wheat and rice crop, which the FCI was not lifting in a timely manner. Punjab, like other states, was already reeling under financial problems due to non-payment of their GST share in time, he said, pointing out that his state had not received its GST share since August 2019, translating into dues of Rs 6000 crore. And given that the state had handed over all other revenue generation sources to the central government under the GST regime, this had left them in a critical situation, he added.
Assuaging the concerns of investors on account of the drugs and cancer problems in the state, the Chief Minister said his government had initiated a major clean-up of the drugs racket, with thousands of smugglers/peddlers arrested and convicted. While the problem will not disappeared, in view of the money involved in the business, it would be well under control and manageable by the time Assembly elections are due in the state, he promised.
On the concerns expressed about the large number of cancer cases in the state, Captain Amarinder said statistics showed that the figure was actually lower than in other states. Punjab’s cancer cases had hit the limelight due to the notorious Cancer Train, he said, adding that his government was providing cancer treatment to patients within the state to prevent them from going to Rajasthan or other places for the same.
The interactive session ended with NDTV Co-Chairman Prannoy Roy, who steered the session, congratulating the Chief Minister for his hands-on knowledge of the state and its problems.

PUNJAB GOVT COMMITTED TO TRANSFORMING MSMEs INTO INDUSTRIAL GIANTS: VINI MAHAJAN
SAS Nagar (Mohali), December 5, 2019: Describing MSMEs as an important engine of Punjab’s industrial growth, Additional Chief Secretary Industry & Invest Punjab, Vini Mahajan on Thursday said the state government was committed to transforming the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises into industrial giants in the coming years.
Setting the context for the theme of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit, Vini cited the various measures taken by the Captain Amarinder Singh led government to strengthen the MSME sector in the state.
Addressing the session on `Building partnerships for inclusive growth: MSMEs in the Global Value Chain’, she referred to the ease of doing business promoted by the new industrial policy, subsidised power tariff for industry @Rs 5/unit, incentives on electricity duty and GST, Online Land Ownership, Online Inspection system and easy access to finance.
To provide this ease to the MSMEs, the Government of Punjab has partnered with HDFC Bank to provide loans to around 700 MSME beneficiaries, amounting to Rs 1,100cr. Under their MoU, the Bank is offering special pricing for business loans to all industries in the state, she added.
Vini further pointed to the infrastructure upgradation undertaken at the focal points at an investment of around Rs 200 crores by the state government. She further cited recent cabinet decisions, including approval for Right to Business Act for MSMEs, amendments to the Industrial Disputes Act, Factories Act, etc, and the decision to allow Panchayats to partner the state’s industrial development through creation of industrial parks on Shamlat land.
On the occasion, Punjab Industries and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora signed MoUs with key e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart to enable access to new markets for the Punjab-based MSMEs. Arora said that the Government had signed the MoU with Amazon to enable B2B linkages with key international markets, including US, Canada, and key markets in Europe, while, with Flipkart, the government had signed the MoU to facilitate access for MSMEs to new domestic markets, as well as Flipkart Samarth, to give impetus to the growth of handloom weavers and small enterprises in the State.
The MSME session was moderated by Akhil Bansal, Deputy CEO of KPMG, and participated by Jayant Davar from Sandhar Technologies, Sachid Madan from ITC, Bhawna Bhatia from World Bank, Sarvjit Singh Samra from Capital Small Finance Bank and Dr Ren Van Berkel from UNIDO.
During the session, the participants hailed the initiative of the Punjab Government and said that it was the right time to give impetus to MSMEs in Punjab, which has a strong presence in light engineering, knitwear, clothing, sports good, pharmacy, automobiles, hand tools, leather industry and other sectors.
Panelists urged the Punjab government to develop more Research and Development Centres in the state to further improve the quality of the products and keep the technologically up to date. They said that the summit was the stepping stone towards recognition of MSMEs and the government should continue such initiates to encourage MSMEs.
Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), said that MSME sector is the backbone of the Punjab industry and accounts for nearly 60% of the total output and around 80% of the total employment in industry in the State.
At the start of the session, Pankaj Munjal, Managing Director Hero Cycles, shared his experiences and appreciated the support being given by the Punjab government to industry.

UK COUNTRY SESSION UNDERLINES IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATION TO BOOST GROWTH IN PUNJAB
S.A.S Nagar, December 5, 2019: Innovation is the key for the growth of Punjab, and there is no dearth of investment to further boost the economy of the state. These views were expressed by key speakers at the UK Country Session on the first day of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit.
The discussions spanned possible avenues of collaboration across multiple sectors, including agriculture, food processing, textile and apparel sector, machine and hand tools, farm-tools manufacturing, automobile, bicycle components, sports goods, light engineering sector, metallurgy sector and renewable power.
In her opening remarks and context setting, Additional Chief Secretary-Cooperation-Government of Punjab, Kalpana Mittal Baruah highlighted the industrial policy of the state. She said that the policy was not only proving to be instrumental in providing congenial atmosphere to set up industry in Punjab but was also aiding the state’s growth.
“Peaceful atmosphere, abundance of skilled workforce and Rs 5 per unit power brought an investment of more than Rs 50,000 crores in Punjab,” Baruah said. She also talked about the historic and socio-economic relationships between Punjab and UK to further strengthen the industrial ties between both the nations.
Speaking about the ties between Punjab and UK, Director General of UK Trade and Investment-India, Crispin Simon termed Punjab as the best place for industrial investment. He spoke about biotechnology, skill development and setting up stores of rice in Punjab, and also appreciated the role of Punjab Government in addressing the problem of stubble burning.
Director of UK India Business Council, Divya Dwivedi talked about the Federal Structure, attractive market of Punjab, and the socio-economic relationship of Punjab with UK. She pointed out UK was home to one of the largest Punjabi diaspora in the world. She also talked about collaboration between the UK and Punjab in aerospace, defense, data managing, innovation center and automobile sector.
Sharing his ideas about the new opportunities in making daily need materials for the Indian market, CFO of the Hindustan Unilever, Srinivas Phatak said that investment in Punjab helps in catering to the need of the market of North India. “Our past and recent experience of investing in Punjab has proved helpful in the overall growth of our company,” he said.
Dr. Manoj Raje, Director of CSIR-IMTECH, stressed on the need for microbial based research in soil, water and pollution for bringing more industrial units in Punjab.
CEO & CMD of Tynor Orthotics-P J Singh talked about innovation in the field of health and threw light upon wearable electronics in attaining good health. He also shared his past experiences of starting joint ventures with foreign companies, and stated that there was ample scope for innovation in the field of healthcare.
Talking about the opportunities in the field of education, Professor Philip Plowden, Vice Chancellor of Birmingham City University, stressed upon the need for collaboration between the universities of Punjab and UK. “This collaboration would result in scaling new heights in the field of education,” he said.
In his concluding remarks, Vikas Garg IAS, Registrar-Cooperative Societies gave his vote of thanks.

PROGRESSIVE PUNJAB INVESTORS SUMMIT TO GIVE IMPETUS TO INDUSTRIALISATION IN STATE: DC
Ludhiana, December 5, 2019: Deputy Commissioner Mr Pradeep Kumar Agrawal today said that the ongoing Progressive Punjab Investors Summit 2019 at Mohali would act as a catalyst for putting the state on high growth trajectory besides giving impetus to industrial growth in state.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit-2019 being organized at Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) from today would be a milestone in exploring the tremendous business potential in the state. He said that it would also act as a catalyst in creating synergy between Punjab and foreign investors, for pushing industrialisation on fast track.
Mr Agrawal said that ever since the Capt Amarinder Singh government came to power in the state, various companies have invested more than Rs 55000 crore in Punjab. He said that an online mechanism was a revolutionary step that was facilitating the investors in getting the clearances, from the line departments, for setting up their units in the state. He said that this unique initiative had been pivotal in putting the industrial growth of the state on the high growth trajectory.
He said that due to industrial friendly policies of the state government, Punjab was already moving towards greater industrialisation in a shift from the traditional agriculture based economy, which had already reached a point of saturation. He said that the government was providing full support in terms of infrastructure and speedy clearances to boost industrialisation in Punjab.