Punjab Pitches Mohali as North India's Next GCC Hub: Aman Arora Woos Global Giants in Bengaluru with Tier-1 Capability at Tier-2 Cost
Aman Arora leads high-level delegation at Zinnov Confluence 2026
Punjab holds CXO Roundtable with NASSCOM, Takeda, Persistent, Festo, Nagarro and other global leaders
Industry Minister Showcases Mohali’s over 40K annual graduates, OPEX advantage, plug-&-play infra and Industrial Policy incentives to position Punjab beyond cost arbitrage
Babushahi Network
Chandigarh/Bengaluru, August 20, 2026:
Positioning Mohali as North India’s next GCC and technology hub offering Tier-1 capability at Tier-2 cost, Punjab Industries & Commerce and Investment Promotion Minister Aman Arora led a high-level state delegation on a two-day high-stakes investment outreach to Bengaluru, pitching the state directly to global giants scouting India for new Global Capability Centre (GCC), IT/ITeS, Research and Development (R&D) and semiconductor investments.
The outreach is part of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government’s aggressive strategy to put Punjab, particularly Mohali, on the global investment map by engaging directly with corporate decision-makers, GCC heads and ecosystem enablers in India’s top business and technology hubs.
During the two-day visit on August 19–20, Aman Arora led Punjab delegation partnered with Zinnov Confluence 2026, convened a high-level CXO Roundtable with leading GCCs, held one-to-one meetings with global corporates and firmed up a roadmap with ecosystem partners for sustained outreach for Punjab.
The Roundtable saw participation from Zinnov, NASSCOM, Takeda, Wingbox AI, Persistent Systems, Festo, Nagarro, the Embassy of Austria and leading GCC, technology and advisory experts, who deliberated on critical location parameters including talent, ready-to-move infrastructure, connectivity, cost competitiveness, quality of life and ecosystem strength.
Highlighting Punjab’s competitive edge, Aman Arora said Mohali offers Tier-1 capability at Tier-2 operating cost. The Chandigarh-Mohali region already has a strong base of technology professionals and produces over 40,000 fresh graduates annually. With significant OPEX advantage over Tier-1 locations, ready and upcoming plug-and-play commercial space, and proximity to Chandigarh-Mohali International Airport, Mohali presents a compelling value proposition. He added that the State’s new Industrial Policy provides dedicated support for GCCs, including ₹7,500 per employee per month employment subsidy, rental subsidy, capital subsidy and other fiscal incentives.
The delegation also held focused interactions with Zinnov, Persistent Systems, NXP Semiconductors, Nexteer Automotive and GlobalFoundries, covering opportunities across GCCs, R&D, semiconductor design and ESDM, advanced mobility, AgriTech and technology-led investments. The discussions emphasised the need to position Punjab beyond cost arbitrage and build a differentiated value proposition around industry-ready talent, deep technology capabilities, innovation, robust infrastructure and strong industry-academia-startup linkages.
On the sidelines, the Punjab delegation also held detailed discussions with ANSR management for a potential collaboration to drive aggressive GCC outreach. The proposed partnership envisages organising sector-specific roundtables with GCC leaders across major tech hubs in India, undertaking international and diaspora outreach and building an AI and GCC-ready talent ecosystem in Punjab in collaboration with universities and industry.
As an event partner at Zinnov Confluence 2026, Punjab also participated in the Zinnov ICON 2026 Awards Ceremony, where Aman Arora presented awards recognising GCCs and their teams for outstanding initiatives across various categories and congratulated all the winners for their contribution towards innovation and strengthening India’s rapidly growing GCC ecosystem.
The Bengaluru outreach will be followed by structured engagement with the identified companies and ecosystem partners, as Punjab moves to establish Mohali as North India’s next preferred destination for GCC and technology investments.