Mohali on road to becoming North’s IT services capital with huge fund inflow

Mohali is in the middle of the most significant investment wave in its history, with Invest Punjab confirming record interest across IT, GCCs, data centres, semiconductor units, healthcare, retail and e-mobility, driven by massive reforms, powerful infrastructure upgrades and a fresh round of high-impact projects.

Among the main developments are Infosys’ Rs 285.5-crore expansion, the nearly Rs 2,000-crore Phoenix Mall project by Casper Realty, the Rs 1,000-crore Fortis Hospital upgrade, the upcoming Satyam Data Centre, a 2,000-employee GCC by Everise Holdings and the expansion of CDIL Semiconductor, strengthening Punjab’s Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) ambitions.

This surge follows major investment roadshows in Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, where Nasscom, GCC leaders, semiconductor associations and IT/ITES giants expressed strong confidence in city’s potential.

“Mohali must match global standards if it aims to be north India’s services capital,” Industries and Commerce, Investment Promotion and Power Minister Sanjeev Arora told The Tribune.

The momentum is being supported by sweeping reforms — especially the Unified Building Bylaws 2025, fast-track clearances through Invest Punjab, upgraded urban infrastructure and major new industrial capacity. Taken together, these shifts will push Mohali into becoming north India’s next major tech-services-innovation powerhouse.

Infosys, which first set up in Mohali in 2017, is now executing one of the largest IT expansions in the region. Under Phase I, the IT giant has committed Rs 285.5 crore investment, 3 lakh sq ft of new built-up space and 2,500 direct and 210 indirect jobs. Phase II (within five years) will bring additional 4.8 lakh sq ft expansion and workforce scaling towards 5,000 employees.

For Mohali, this marks a crucial milestone — the return of a global tier-1 IT company with a major new investment, placing the city firmly on India’s technology map. “With over 100 engineering colleges in the region and an international airport next to the IT City, Mohali is the ideal north Indian base for IT and startups,” Manipal Dhariwal, co-founder and CEO of Netsmartz said.

The government’s strategy to balance IT growth with industrial expansion hinges on a second anchor project: A new 140-acre Industrial Focal Point at Jhanjheri.

Officials confirmed that the deal with the Jhanjheri panchayat is almost final, and the land is set to be handed over to Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC), which will develop the entire tract into a modern industrial estate. Once transferred, the PSIEC will lay roads, sewerage, water supply and lighting, set up power infrastructure, create plug-and-play industrial plots for MSMEs and larger units and offer fast-track allotments to investors.

The Jhanjheri estate will address the acute industrial land shortage in Mohali and create the district’s newest manufacturing and services hub. Phoenix Mall, Satyam Data Centre and Everise GCC add new dimensions and depth to Mohali’s emerging urban-economic mix. Casper Realty will raise the mall with nearly Rs 2,000 crore investment, which will be among north India’s largest outside NCR. For this retail, entertainment and commercial shop, the company has already filed CAF.

The data centre with its 2-acre campus will support Mohali’s rising role as a data centre, cloud hub and strengthen the STPI and Neuron ecosystem. The GCC will hire 2,000 employees to reinforce Mohali’s GCC, AI opportunities and attract multinational shared services and digital operations units.

One of the most significant non-IT investment in Mohali is the Rs 1,000-crore expansion of Fortis Hospital, which will convert the existing campus into a world-class tertiary-care complex with cutting-edge medical and surgical facilities.

Combined with Mohali’s emerging medical tourism identity, improved air connectivity and growing corporate presence, this expansion will strengthen the district’s healthcare backbone as it transitions to a high-value services city.

“Mohali’s ecosystem offers a stress-free work environment with modern infrastructure and global connectivity. It is poised to drive India’s next digital wave,” said Pramod Bhasin, founder of Genpact.

A decisive moment

Punjab has received Rs 1.23 lakh crore worth of investment proposals since March 2022 with potential to create 4.7 lakh jobs. Mohali — powered by Infosys, Jhanjheri industrial estate, Phoenix Mall, Fortis expansion and a string of new GCCs and semiconductor investments — is the epicentre of this next phase.

“This is just the beginning — Mohali is well on its way to becoming the services capital of north India, and a global hub for innovation and high-value jobs,” minister Arora said.

If delivery keeps pace with ambition, Mohali could redefine Punjab’s economic identity — from an agrarian past to a technology-and-services-driven future.

Mohali building bylaws: Development DNA reset

To make Mohali a 21st-century investment-ready city, the government has rolled out some of the most forward-looking building bylaws in India: Higher FAR (floor area ratio) and purchasable FAR, 10 per cent increase in ground coverage, nation-leading business-friendly parking norms, 5 per cent FAR for in-building commercial amenities and simplified building plan approvals needing only key drawings.

All clearances — industrial and commercial — will come through Invest Punjab’s FastTrack portal with assured approvals within 45 days. These reforms bring Mohali’s development standards on a par with global innovation cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong and domestic giants like Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Massive infrastructure overhaul

The government has launched one of the region’s largest urban upgrade cycles: City-wide road overhaul, redesign of Mohali IT City inspired by Delhi Aerocity and Singapore, major power infrastructure strengthening, including a new substation in 12-18 months, improved Chandigarh-Mohali transport connectivity, enhanced security and policing framework. There have also been discussions with airlines to add new international routes and planning for new trunk roads across Greater Mohali.

A holistic approach

Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) has commissioned a comprehensive social infrastructure assessment to evaluate gaps and future needs across schools (IB, CBSE, state board), hospitals (primary, secondary, tertiary) and hotels (3-star to luxury). The goal is clear: Create a future-ready, high-livability, global-standard city.