Invest Punjab: Progressive Punjab Investors Summit 2026, Mohali on its way to develop as Silicon Valley

Invest Punjab: Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Mohali is fast emerging as a major technology and start-up hub. This was disclosed by Cabinet Minister for Industries and Commerce, Investment Promotion, Power and Local Government Sanjeev Arora during the Progressive Punjab Conference here. He said that Mohali is on its way to develop rapidly as “Silicon Valley”.

Developed as technology and start-ups

Addressing the high-level meeting on the theme “Brand Mohali” on the first day of the Progressive Punjab Conference 2026 at Plaksha University, the Cabinet Minister said that Mohali is no longer just a satellite city, but is developing as a global technology and start-up destination.

Own start-up hub in Mohali soon

Minister Sanjeev Arora announced that a dedicated start-up hub is being built by the Punjab Government at Kalkat Bhawan, which will be modeled on the world famous Pangyo Techno Valley of South Korea. He said, “Just like South Korea has its own Silicon Valley, Punjab too will soon have its own start-up hub in Mohali, for which approval has been given by the Chief Minister Punjab.

Cheapest electricity will be available across the country

Referring to the merits of the new industrial policy, he said that power reforms are an important part of this strategy. He said, “We have brought IT companies and data centers from commercial electricity rates to industrial rates. This will give IT companies in Mohali the cheapest electricity in the country.

Eligibility conditions were also reduced

He also gave information about the subsidies being given to the employees. He said a subsidy of Rs 5,000 per employee per month will be given to IT companies and Rs 7,000 for Global Capability Centers (GCCs). Apart from this, the eligibility conditions have also been reduced to encourage small and medium industries. During the session, Minister Sanjeev Arora addressed stalwarts from the hospitality, IT, education and medical sectors, speaking about the growing infrastructure needs.

Near hills and international airport

Highlighting the recent auction of Mohali Convention Center and the opening of Infosys Center as milestones in the city’s expansion, he said Mohali is emerging as an important city not only for business but also for destination weddings and international conferences due to its proximity to the hills and the international airport.

Like to stay close to roots and culture

Talking about the IT talent pool, he said Punjabis form a major part of the human resources employed in global technical hubs such as Silicon Valley. He further said that by investing in Mohali, companies can hire the top 1 per cent Punjabi talent who prefer to stay close to their roots and culture, thereby ensuring a much lower attrition rate compared to other technical centres.

Investment of Rs 900 crore involved

Talking about healthcare, the minister stressed on the expansion of local medical facilities, which includes an investment of Rs 900 crore in hospital infrastructure. He also appealed to private entrepreneurs to focus on “affordable health care” for the common man.

Of course the shortage of planes is a global challenge

Regarding air connectivity, the Minister shared information about the recent discussions held with the managers of Air India and Air India Express and said that although shortage of aircraft is a global challenge, the State is trying to keep pace with the pace of development of Mohali and to have more international flights.

Land auction held in Mohali

Earlier, Principal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Department, Vikas Garg said that during the last one year, land worth more than Rs 10,000 crore has been auctioned in Mohali. He said that a plan has also been made to acquire 7,000 acres more land for the all-round development of the city. He said, “Our aim is to put Mohali on the map of Asia.

Vice Chairperson Seema Bansal was also present

Notable participants in the discussion during the session included Bhaskar Barooah, Chief Development Officer, ITC Hotels Limited, Dr. Rudra Pratap, Founding Vice Chancellor, Plaksha University, Ashish Bhatia, Regional COO, Fortis Healthcare, Manipal Dhariwal, Co-Founder and CEO, NetSmartz and Jitin Talwar, Founder, TT Consultants, XLScout, while Boston Consulting The MDP of the group was the moderator of the session. Punjab Development Commission Vice Chairperson Seema Bansal was also present on this occasion.