Gulzarinder Singh Chahal assumes office as Vice Chairman of Economic Policy and Planning Board
By Amrit Pal Sidhu
Chandigarh, December 24, 2025: Gulzarinder Singh Chahal on Wednesday officially took charge as Vice Chairman of the Economic Policy and Planning Board, Punjab, with the status of Cabinet Rank, in the presence of Additional Chief Secretary Planning Jaspreet Talwar, Additional Secretary Planning Jagjit Singh, and Director Planning Anupam. He expressed his sincere gratitude to National Convenor AAP Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for the opportunity to serve.
Immediately following his assumption of office, the Vice Chairman Chahal held a brainstorming meeting with senior planning officers and said that the Punjab Government is already implementing , pro people policies with positive results on ground and that Punjab is leading the way in India by undertaking revolutionary reforms through well thought out policies. In the meeting he along with senior officers strategized to develop a plan for his new role, focusing on furthering Punjab's development
During the meeting, he acknowledged that Punjab’s economy is fundamentally rooted in agriculture and Medium and Small Enterprises ( MSME) and emphasized that his tenure will focus on providing inputs and recommendations to boost both these sectors further. Chahal also took the opportunity to commend the Punjab Government’s e-Registry initiative, citing it as a successful model of corruption-free governance and transparency that should be replicated across other departments through technology-enabled reforms.
Looking toward the future, Vice Chairman Gulzarinder Singh Chahal highlighted the necessity of embracing the digital economy. He signaled a strong commitment to supporting start-ups, media and entertainment, while integrating emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics into government sectors to improve service delivery.
He added that he will endeavour for close coordination with Niti Aayog and study major policies across Indian states and internationally so that successful policies can be adapted for Punjab while also facilitating investments from Global Punjabis and international Industry leaders to strengthen the states economic growth.
Leveraging his background as an entrepreneur, he concluded that driving innovation and fostering public-private collaborations will be vital in attracting investment and ensuring that the fruits of economic growth reach every citizen of Punjab.