Business
Punjab eyes hefty investment | The Express Tribune
LAHORE:
Punjab is consolidating its position as Pakistan’s leading investment destination as the provincial government moves ahead with several new industrial initiatives, including a state-of-the-art complex for Chinese executives and investors near the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC).
In an interview with The Express Tribune, Provincial Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Chaudhry Shafay Hussain said the facility is designed to provide a secure and comfortable environment for Chinese professionals, who face travel restrictions in Pakistan due to security concerns.
“The complex will have all the necessary facilities,” he said, adding “it reflects our commitment to ensuring that foreign investors operating in Punjab have a safe and supportive environment.”
Punjab, which contributes nearly 54% to Pakistan’s GDP, continues to attract most of the country’s industrial and foreign investment. According to Shafay, improved infrastructure, skilled manpower and investor-friendly policies have made the province a preferred destination for both local and international investors. Foreign direct investment is increasing, led by Chinese, Turkish and Middle Eastern investors.
Shafay said the government’s focus is on promoting value-added industries to maximise export potential and boost provincial revenues. “It is now a strict policy; every investor must add value to the product. Whether it is pink salt or minerals, only value-added exports will be encouraged,” he said. “This approach will help provinces generate more funds and support sustainable economic growth.”
As part of efforts to diversify its industrial portfolio, Punjab is also engaging with Turkey to strengthen its gems and jewellery sector. “Turkey has great expertise in gemstone processing and jewellery design, and we want to collaborate to bring similar capabilities here,” Shafay said.
Turkey is among the world’s top 10 jewellery exporters, with Istanbul serving as a regional hub for gemstone polishing and gold craftsmanship, a model Punjab aims to learn from.
The minister revealed that new gold placer deposits have been identified in Attock and Jhelum districts. “We are formulating a policy that will go to the cabinet for approval. Once cleared, leases will be offered to regulated investors for exploration and development,” he said, adding that responsible extraction could open a new frontier for Punjab’s mineral sector.
Industrial activity across Punjab is already gaining momentum. “Eight cement companies are currently in the process of obtaining expansion approvals,” Shafay said. “A couple of them are looking to establish new plants of up to 10,000 tons per day, mainly for export purposes.”
He added that similar growth is being seen in emerging sectors such as synthetic leather, electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging stations, which he believes will lead Punjab’s industrial future.
To further expand industrial capacity, the government has secured 1,400 acres of non-agricultural land in Sialkot for a new industrial estate.
“Sialkot already has an export processing zone, but we are developing another state-of-the-art industrial area that includes a 240-acre dedicated Surgical City,” he said. “It will further enhance Punjab’s exports of medical and surgical instruments, which are already globally recognised.”
Parallel efforts are underway to upgrade industrial estates in southern Punjab. “We are improving facilities in Multan and Bahawalpur and have reduced commercial plot prices to encourage genuine industrialists,” Shafay said, adding “plots will only be allotted to those who plan to build industries, not to those using them for real estate trading.”
Foreign investors continue to show strong confidence in Punjab’s industrial landscape. “Vivo Mobile is setting up a manufacturing unit here and several Chinese firms are investing in EV plants and textile projects,” Shafay said. “Their trust in Punjab’s resources, manpower and infrastructure is growing every year.”
Reflecting on his tenure, the minister admitted that delivering results in a complex administrative setup requires persistence. “The job is not easy if you really want to deliver. Each day brings new challenges and follow-ups consume most of my time. But that’s what is needed to make the system work,” he said.
The minister hoped that the province will continue to lead Pakistan’s industrial transformation as consistent policies, improved infrastructure and renewed investor confidence are steadily positioning Punjab as the country’s most reliable destination for foreign investment and sustainable economic growth for the years to come.
“We have already set the stage for take-off and we hope that the province will establish itself as a growth engine of this region in coming years,” Shafay added.
Business
Green energy exports: $10-bn green ammonia project positions India as global clean-fuel supplier; Kakinada plant nears key milestone – The Times of India
A $10-billion green hydrogen and green ammonia project at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh is set to cross a major construction milestone, reinforcing India’s ambition to emerge as a global supplier of clean energy to markets such as Germany, Japan and Singapore.The first major equipment erection ceremony of AM Green’s Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia Complex will be held on January 17 and will be attended by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Konidala Pawan Kalyan, state government officials said, PTI reported.Billed as one of the largest clean-energy investments in India to date, the project involves a total outlay of $10 billion and is expected to generate up to 8,000 jobs during the construction phase, besides substantial high-skill employment during operations and across allied sectors including renewable energy, logistics, storage and port services.AM Green is developing India’s first and the world’s largest green ammonia complex at Kakinada, with a planned capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum, through the brownfield conversion of an existing ammonia-urea facility. The project will be commissioned in phases, beginning with 0.5 million tonnes per annum by 2027, scaling up to 1 million tonnes by 2028 and reaching full capacity by 2030.Once operational, the facility will enable India’s first exports of green ammonia, which is increasingly being adopted globally as a clean shipping fuel, for power generation and as a carrier for green hydrogen.The integrated project spans 7.5 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity, 1,950 megawatts of electrolyser capacity and 2 gigawatts of round-the-clock renewable power, supported by pumped hydro storage, including India’s first such facility at Pinnapuram in Andhra Pradesh.AM Green has already signed long-term supply agreements with Germany-based utility Uniper and is in advanced discussions with potential buyers in Japan and Singapore, establishing India’s first green-energy export linkages with Europe and advanced Asian economies.The project is aligned with Andhra Pradesh’s Integrated Clean Energy Policy, 2024, which seeks to position the state as India’s primary hub for green hydrogen and green ammonia. Once fully commissioned, the facility is expected to mark a structural shift from energy import dependence towards clean-energy exports, placing Andhra Pradesh at the centre of the global green-energy value chain.AM Green, backed by the founders of the Greenko Group, is developing the project through AM Green Ammonia, a partnership involving Malaysia-based Gentari, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Construction at the Kakinada site is already under way, placing it among a limited set of large-scale green ammonia facilities globally that meet Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO) standards.Beyond production, the project showcases an end-to-end clean-energy ecosystem within a single state, encompassing large-scale renewable generation, round-the-clock green power backed by storage, hydrogen and ammonia production, and port-based export infrastructure.AM Green has also moved to strengthen global linkages. In May last year, it announced a partnership with the Port of Rotterdam Authority to create a dedicated green-fuel corridor linking India with north-western Europe, aimed at enabling annual trade of up to 1 million tonnes of green fuels valued at nearly $1 billion. Earlier, it tied up with global logistics firm DP World to develop green fuel storage and export facilities in India and overseas.“This is not merely an industrial project, but a strategic step in positioning Andhra Pradesh and India as leaders in clean-energy exports and climate action,” the state government said.
Business
Budget 2026 Should Support MSMEs, Critical Minerals For Boosting Trade Resilience: Deloitte
Last Updated:
Deloitte India urges FY27 Budget to boost MSME support and critical mineral security, job protection and advancing India’s global manufacturing and clean energy goals.
Budget 2026 Expectations.
Budget 2026: Deloitte India has pitched a sharper focus on MSME support and critical mineral security in the FY27 Union Budget, arguing that these measures are essential to strengthen India’s trade resilience and reduce external vulnerabilities amid rising global uncertainty.
In its Budget expectations note, Deloitte India said micro, small and medium enterprises play a pivotal role in the economy, accounting for nearly 46% of India’s exports and emerging as the second-largest employer after agriculture. According to the firm, easing financial and compliance-related pressures on MSMEs would help them cope with global volatility, sustain production and remain competitive in overseas markets.
The Union Budget 2026-27 will be tabled on Sunday, February 1.
“Strengthening MSMEs will safeguard jobs and drive inclusive economic growth, boost rural incomes and support India’s ambition to become a global manufacturing hub,” Deloitte said.
The firm recommended measures such as enhanced export credit availability, concessional financing and simplified digital compliance systems to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. It also called for comprehensive training programmes to improve last-mile competitiveness of MSMEs, particularly those linked to global value chains.
Deloitte further suggested targeted export incentives or enhanced duty drawback support for tariff-sensitive sectors such as ready-made garments, gems and jewellery, and leather, which are more vulnerable to global trade disruptions.
Highlighting the risks from an increasingly protectionist global environment, Deloitte Economist Rumki Majumdar said rising uncertainty from tariff hikes, changes in rules of origin and non-tariff barriers could disproportionately affect Indian exporters. While the direct impact of global trade frictions on GDP growth may be limited to 40-80 basis points, the spillover effects on MSMEs and employment could be far more severe.
“MSMEs contribute 30.1 per cent to GDP, account for 45.79 per cent of India’s exports and employ nearly 290 million people; disruptions in export markets or tightening trade rules pose serious risks to jobs and income stability,” Majumdar said.
Beyond MSMEs, Deloitte emphasised the need for a strategic push on critical minerals to secure supply chains and support India’s clean energy transition. It proposed setting up a dedicated critical minerals fund to finance overseas acquisitions and technology partnerships, ensuring long-term access to essential resources.
The firm also recommended deeper global collaboration with regions such as Africa, Australia and Latin America to secure upstream access to minerals, alongside joint research and development in mineral processing and recycling. In addition, it called for incentives to promote investments in renewable energy, green hydrogen and grid-scale energy storage.
Deloitte said expanded funding for exploration, extraction and processing of key critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt and rare earth magnets, would be crucial to reduce import dependence and strengthen India’s strategic and economic security in the years ahead.
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January 16, 2026, 15:02 IST
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Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday staged a strong comeback, breaking the long bearish momentum as snowballing forex reserves have lifted investor sentiment.
During intraday trading, the PSX’s benchmark KSE-100 index gained a whopping 3,146.23 points to climb to 184,602.56 points, marking a positive change of 1.70%.
Out of 562 active companies, share prices of 375 advanced and of 67 declined while rates of 120 companies remained unchanged.
Economic analysts said the uptick offered some breathing space for the economy, even as the country continued to keep a close watch on external inflows and outflows.
Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves inched up by $16 million over the past week, according to figures released by the State Bank of Pakistan.
The central bank said its official reserves rose from $16.0557 billion to $16.0718 billion, showing a modest gain during the week.
Overall, the country’s total reserves climbed to $21.2484 billion.
The State Bank also noted that commercial banks’ holdings went up by $5.6 million, reaching $5.1927 billion.
The central bank projects the FY26 current account deficit at 0–1% of GDP and sees reserves at $17.8 billion by June 2026 with planned official inflows.
A day earlier, the stock exchange dropped by over 1,100 points due to massive selling pressure.
The PSX had extended losses after recording an increase for a brief period as investors seemed cautious amid rising geopolitical tensions involving Iran.
During intraday trading, the KSE-100 index touched 183,717.53 due to strong buying in the early sessions before it turned bearish by losing 69.29 points to close at 182,500.52 points.
International officials have warned that US military intervention in Iran now appears likely and could take place within the next 24 hours amid sharply escalating tensions in the Middle East.
American, European and Israeli sources said preparations for possible action were under way as Washington began evacuating personnel from its major air base in Qatar.
Green energy exports: $10-bn green ammonia project positions India as global clean-fuel supplier; Kakinada plant nears key milestone – The Times of India
Budget 2026 Should Support MSMEs, Critical Minerals For Boosting Trade Resilience: Deloitte
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