By — Dilip Guha

Punjab is featured as a proud State Partner at Bharat Tex 2026, India’s flagship global textile event held from July 14–17, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The state’s massive pavilion is showcasing its complete textile value chain and traditional crafts to global investors.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann inaugurated the Punjab State Pavilion, with 97 companies from the state participating in the mega-exhibition.

Punjab put its textile potential on display at Bharat Tex 2026, with Industries and Commerce Minister Aman Arora saying the state has received investment proposals worth over ₹75,000 crore since 2022. He emphasised the state’s ambition to emerge as a global textile hub, driven by technical textiles, investor-friendly policies, and modern industrial infrastructure. 

Industries Minister Aman Arora declared Punjab’s ambition to lead India’s textile growth story at Bharat Tex 2026, while addressing the media: “Punjab is not merely participating in India’s textile growth story; we are writing its next chapter. With investment proposals worth over ₹75,000 crore received in the last four years, the industry has reposed faith in our policies. We are transitioning from traditional strengths to technical leadership, positioning Punjab as a future-ready and globally integrated textile hub.”

Accompanied by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Arora used the global platform to woo investors, showcase Punjab’s industrial capabilities, and unveil new initiatives aimed at strengthening the state’s position in the textile sector.

Regarding Punjab’s investor-friendly environment and industry growth, he stated, “…there is a very conducive and supportive atmosphere along with beneficial policies. I believe we will surpass our targets. Everything that has been done here for the industry is significant—this is certainly a major opportunity for you.”

The Industries Minister said that Punjab has long been a cornerstone of India’s textile industry, accounting for approximately 95 per cent of the country’s woollen knitwear production and around 65 per cent of hosiery production. The state also ranks first in blended yarn production, with a 5.7 per cent share in India’s total spinning capacity. The textile and apparel sector contributes nearly 14 per cent to the state’s manufacturing Gross Value Added (GVA). With over 1.46 lakh units, the sector provides employment to more than 10 lakh workers.

While Punjab’s traditional textile base remains robust, Industries Minister Aman Arora underlined that the global industry is undergoing a fundamental transition towards man-made fibres, technical textiles, and high-performance materials—driven by demand from healthcare, infrastructure, sports, and defence sectors.

“Punjab is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation,” Arora said, pointing to the state’s ecosystem of over 100 PPE manufacturers, multiple DRDO-certified facilities, and expanding capabilities in Meditech, SportTech, AgriTech, and Geotech. These include healthcare and surgical textiles, performance fabrics linked to Jalandhar’s sports goods industry, and advanced applications in agriculture and infrastructure.

Punjab is home to well-established industrial clusters, including Ludhiana, widely recognised as the “Manchester of India”; Jalandhar, known for sports goods; Amritsar, with a strong base in woollen textiles; and SAS Nagar, which is emerging as a modern manufacturing hub. These clusters offer a robust ecosystem of skilled labour, supplier networks and export-oriented enterprises, he added.

Warmly inviting the textile investors to invest in Punjab, Mr Aman Arora said that the Punjab government has created a competitive policy framework to boost industrial growth. The state has notified three dedicated policies for Apparel & Technical Textiles, Spinning & Weaving and Dyeing & Finishing.

To support investors, the state government is also offering lucrative incentives, including a capital subsidy of up to 20 per cent of fixed capital investment with a maximum limit of ₹10 crore, reimbursement of up to 75 per cent of net SGST paid and total incentives of up to 125 per cent of fixed capital investment with a maximum limit of ₹500 crore, he added.

Industries Minister Aman Arora underscored Punjab’s strategic advantages at Bharat Tex 2026, citing its proximity to the National Capital Region, strong road, rail and air connectivity, and a well-developed logistics ecosystem with inland container depots. He added that the state offers a reliable power supply at competitive tariffs of around ₹5.83 per unit, alongside a skilled and industrially experienced workforce.

For ease of doing business, Arora pointed to the Right to Business Act, under which approvals are granted based on self-declaration within 5 to 45 working days. “If there is any delay, approvals are deemed granted automatically,” he said. Punjab has also launched the FastTrack Punjab Portal, a fully digital single-window system designed to streamline all clearances.