FICO Demands Early Resolution of Mixed Land Use Areas of Ludhiana

Ludhiana, September 23, 2026: The Federation of Industrial & Commercial Organization (FICO) has strongly urged the Punjab Government to take an immediate and final decision on the Mixed Land Use (MLU) areas of Ludhiana before 30 September 2026, when the existing permission for industries operating in these areas is scheduled to expire. FICO President Gurmeet Singh Kular and Finance Secretary Balbir Singh Mankoo stated that thousands of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) operating in established MLU industrial pockets are facing serious uncertainty regarding the continuation of their businesses. FICO has appealed to Chief Minister Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann and Industry & Commerce Minister Punjab Aman Arora to announce a decision before 30 September 2026 so that existing MLU industries do not face uncertainty after the expiry of the present permission. 
They said that repeated temporary extensions have only postponed the problem. The Government must now provide a permanent, practical and industry-friendly solution instead of leaving thousands of small entrepreneurs uncertain about their future. Ludhiana has several long-established industrial pockets where manufacturing activities have been operating for decades. These units form an important part of the city's industrial ecosystem and supply essential components to larger industries, particularly in the bicycle, sewing machine, auto-parts, fasteners and engineering sectors. Recent reports have highlighted the large number of MSMEs and workers dependent on these established industrial clusters.
FICO emphasized that many of these units have been operating from their existing premises for 35–40 years or more. Entrepreneurs have invested their life savings in land, buildings, machinery and infrastructure. Relocating such units without affordable and suitable alternative industrial land would involve huge financial expenditure, production disruption and employment-related difficulties.
They demanded to declare established and predominantly industrial MLU pockets as Industrial Areas. FICO also demanded to ensure continuity of Consent to Operate (CTO), NOCs and other statutory permissions for eligible existing units until a final policy is implemented.
Kular said that small industries cannot be expected to relocate overnight when they have been operating from the same locations for decades and have built their businesses, workforce and supply chains around these industrial clusters.
Mankoo said that the Government's decision before 30 September 2026 is critical for thousands of small entrepreneurs. He stressed that sudden disruption would affect not only individual units but also the wider manufacturing supply chain of Ludhiana.

FICO appealed to the Chief Minister and Industry Minister to intervene personally and ensure that a clear government decision is notified before 30 September 2026, providing certainty to existing MSMEs while also addressing environmental, urban-planning and regulatory requirements in a balanced manner.
FICO further stated that if a satisfactory and permanent solution is not provided before 30 September 2026, FICO will consult and coordinate with other industrial associations and bodies to chalk out a further course of action, including a democratic agitation, to protect the interests of the affected industrial units and entrepreneurs.