Mohali gets makeover as Punjab's biggest investment summit returns after 3 years
The sixth edition of the Progressive Punjab Investment Summit is scheduled from March 13 to 15 at Plaksha University
After a three-year hiatus, Punjab is pulling out all the stops. Streets are being resurfaced, lampposts retrofitted, flower beds freshened and banners hoisted across Mohali — all in feverish preparation for the sixth edition of the Progressive Punjab Investment Summit, scheduled from March 13 to 15 at Plaksha University in the heart of Mohali's IT City.
Punjab Minister of Industries, Commerce, Investment Promotion, Local Government and Power Sanjeev Arora, who reviewed the preparations on Sunday, said the summit would be the largest and most ambitious edition yet. "Nearly 2,500 unique industry leaders are expected to participate. This is not just a summit — it is a statement of Punjab's intent," he told The Tribune.
The three-day format itself marks a significant upgrade. Previous editions of the summit ran for approximately a day and a half. This year's event stretches to nearly three full days, allowing, as Arora put it, "deeper and more meaningful engagement across sectors."
The visible transformation of Mohali ahead of the summit is hard to miss. Road works are underway across key stretches, electricity infrastructure and street lighting are being upgraded and horticulture and beautification drives are in full swing. Posters, banners and unipole dotting the cityscape leave little doubt that something big is coming.
Behind the scenes, a special committee of nearly 10 Administrative Secretaries has been constituted to manage and coordinate preparations. The teams of the Deputy Commissioner, Mohali, and the Chief Administrator, GMADA, have been deeply involved in on-ground logistics. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Arora himself have been reviewing progress periodically.
The summit will be held at Plaksha University — a young, globally ambitious science and technology institution that brands itself the ‘Stanford of India’. Set on a 50-acre campus, the university's auditorium, with a seating capacity of close to 500, will host the flagship sessions.
Senior Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora reviewing preparations for mega Investment Summit in Mohali on Sunday.
BACK AFTER THREE YEARS
The Progressive Punjab Investment Summit was first launched in 2015 under the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government as a flagship platform to attract domestic and foreign investment to the border state — one historically underserved by industry compared to its neighbours. The event quickly gained traction, drawing industrialists, global investors and policy-makers to Chandigarh and Mohali in successive editions, and resulting in investment pledges running into tens of thousands of crores.
The Congress government that succeeded it continued the tradition. But when Bhagwant Mann’s Aam Aadmi Party swept to power in Punjab in March 2022, the summit was quietly shelved. No edition was held in 2022, 2023 or 2024 — a three-year gap that drew criticism from industry bodies and the Opposition, who argued that Punjab could ill-afford to cede ground in the race for investment.
The summit's revival in the final stretch of the AAP government's five-year term — before the state goes to polls early next year — is being read both as a course correction and a confidence signal. Arora was candid about the intent. "Punjab is open for business. This summit will demonstrate that," he said.
WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA
The summit will open with a flagship inaugural session chaired by AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, with Arora also playing a prominent role. Distinguished guests from across India and international delegations will be on the dais.
The bulk of the programme comprises 24 sector-focused sessions, in each of which the relevant chapter of Punjab Industrial Policy 2026 will be unveiled, followed by industry presentations and audience discussions. Three dedicated country sessions — for Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom — will run alongside.
Plenary sessions will spotlight Punjab’s academic ecosystem and talent pipeline, Mohali’s emergence as a 21st-century city in North India, and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence for Punjab’s MSME sector. Strategic roundtables will bring together multilateral institutions — the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and JICA — as well as Global Capability Centre operators, including NASSCOM, KPMG, EY and BCG, to explore Mohali’s pitch as a GCC hub.
Evenings will have a distinctly Punjabi flavour: cultural performances on both March 13 and 14, with a special concert by popular Punjabi artist Karan Aujla on the night of March 14 for delegates of Invest Punjab. The summit wraps up on the afternoon of March 15 with a valedictory session and lunch.
Liaison officers will receive delegates at the airport, hotels across the city have been reserved, and dedicated transport will be on hand. For guests staying on beyond the event, curated visits to industrial facilities, as well as heritage sites including the Golden Temple in Amritsar, are being arranged.
Arora said the government expected the summit to "significantly accelerate investment, partnerships and ecosystem development in Punjab." For a state that has long punched below its weight economically despite its strategic location and human capital, the sixth edition of its flagship investment summit — bigger, longer and more diverse than any before it — is being watched closely.
PUNJAB MEANS BIZ: CM MANN
"The sixth Progressive Punjab Investment Summit is not just an event — it is a turning point. Punjab is open, Punjab is ready, and Punjab means business," says Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann
SUMMIT AT A GLANCE
- Venue: Plaksha University, IT City, Mohali
- Dates: March 13–15
- Duration: 3 days (extended from 1.5 days in past editions)
- Edition: 6th Progressive Punjab Investment Summit
- Expected Delegates: Nearly 2,500 industry leaders
- Country Sessions: Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom
- Sectoral Sessions: 24 sector-focused policy unveiling sessions
- Plenary Themes: Punjab's academic ecosystem; Mohali as a 21st-century city; AI for MSMEs
- Roundtables: Multilateral institutions (World Bank, ADB, JICA); GCCs (NASSCOM, KPMG, EY, BCG)
- Cultural Evenings: March 13 & 14 — Punjabi music & culture; Karan Aujla concert on March 14
- Closing: Valedictory session + lunch, March 15 afternoon
- Inaugural Dais: AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, CM Bhagwant Mann, Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora
