Punjab positions Mohali as emerging IT hub at Investors’ Summit; Govt announces major incentives for tech sector
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh/SAS Nagar, March 15, 2026: The Progressive Punjab Investors' Summit 2026 witnessed strong interest from investors during the dedicated IT and ITeS session held under the theme “Punjab Offer: Promoting GCCs with Speed, Clarity and After Care.” The session highlighted Punjab’s growing potential as a destination for technology investments and digital innovation.
Addressing the packed session, Seema Bansal, Vice Chairperson of the Punjab Development Commission, said the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is determined to develop SAS Nagar as a Tier-1 IT city. She emphasised that the state is focusing on strengthening governance, academic institutions and infrastructure to achieve this vision.
Bansal also noted that several manufacturing industries in Punjab have already started integrating artificial intelligence technologies into their production systems, indicating the state’s shift towards advanced technology adoption.
Highlighting the government’s policy support, Dhirendra Kumar Tiwari, Additional Chief Secretary for Information Technology, outlined incentives offered under the Industrial & Business Development Policy 2026 to promote the IT and ITeS sector. These include 75 percent reimbursement of net SGST for 10 to 15 years and an employment generation subsidy of ₹5,000 per employee per month for five years. Investors can also avail a capital subsidy of up to 20 percent of fixed capital investment, capped at ₹10 crore, along with 100 percent exemption on electricity duty for 10 to 15 years, he added.
For Global Capability Centres (GCCs), the state is offering enhanced incentives, including an employment generation subsidy of ₹7,500 per employee per month for five years for the first 10 units. The policy also provides rental subsidies of ₹7 per square foot for IT units and ₹10 per square foot for GCCs for a minimum of 100 seats over five years. Data centres will receive 100 percent exemption on stamp duty and dual power grid availability on demand, Tiwari said.
In addition to fiscal incentives, the government is providing several non-financial benefits such as time-bound approvals within 5 to 45 working days, exemption from the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act 1995 for IT parks, relaxed building norms and unlimited Floor Area Ratio on roads with a 45-metre right of way.
The session also featured a panel discussion with industry leaders including Bimal Deep Singh from Infosys, Manipal Dhariwal of Netsmartz, Rajwinder Singh Boparai of US Logistics Private Limited, and Baljit Singh from Guru Nanak Dev Global University.
The experts agreed that Mohali has strong potential to emerge as a major IT hub due to skilled manpower, the conducive environment of the Tricity region and comparatively lower operational costs than other major cities. They also pointed out that many Punjabi technology professionals working abroad are keen to return and contribute to the state’s growing digital ecosystem.
The session, moderated by Chandan Singh of KPMG, concluded with an interactive discussion with investors and industry representatives.