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.
NEW DELHI: People with job cards assigned under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme will be able to get work without disruption when transition takes place to new rural employment framework under Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act.Even though exact timeframe is not known yet, rural development ministry officials said the VB-G RAM G scheme will come into force in the coming financial year after the Centre frames and notifies the rules. After govt notifies the Act’s commencement date, states will get six months to make their schemes to enable implementation of the law.To ensure there is no disruption and job guarantee is upheld during transition from MGNREGA, it has been proposed to enable workers to use the same job cards issued under MGNREGA with Aadhaar-based eKYC.The officials said that as of now, around 75% of job cards have been verified with eKYC under the ongoing scheme. Moreover, ongoing projects under MGNREGA, if incomplete when the transition happens to the new scheme, would stay on course.Meanwhile, work is on to frame rules, lay out regulations on normative allocations, fund flow plan, IT framework, a national-level steering panel and social audits.Under the new law, focus will be on transparency to weed out leakages and duplicacy of work,the social audit system will be strengthened, and technology leveraged to create systems to establish work progress, timely wage payment and accountability through ‘e-measurement’ books, sources said. Demand for work will have to be entered on a digital platform. Officials made it clear the new law in no way interferes with demand-driven character of the scheme.
Business
Gurugram Attracts Rs 86,588 Crore In Real Estate Investments In 2025 As RERA Clears 131 Projects
Last Updated:
Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to safeguard homebuyer and investor interests
Gurgaon Real Estate (Representative Image)
Gurugram emerged as one of India’s top real estate investment destinations in 2025, with projects worth Rs 86,588 crore receiving regulatory approvals during the year, according to data from the Gurugram Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Gurugram RERA).
Market observers said the numbers reflect strong investor confidence in the NCR’s largest commercial and residential hub.
Gurugram RERA registered 131 projects in calendar year 2025, representing development potential of 35,455 units across housing and commercial segments.
A striking feature of the data was the dominance of large-ticket projects. Just 28 major developments accounted for investments worth Rs 59,360 crore, highlighting the growing influence of institutional capital and large developers in shaping Gurugram’s property market.
Residential assets continued to attract the bulk of investment interest. Of the total units approved, 31,455 were residential, underscoring sustained end-user demand and long-term confidence in the city’s housing fundamentals.
According to Authority data, the residential mix included 17,405 group housing units, 5,720 mixed land use units, 4,040 residential floor units, 2,122 affordable group housing units, 1,954 units under the Deen Dayal housing scheme, and 214 residential plotted colony units.
Market observers said this diversified supply pipeline indicates capital deployment across both premium and mass segments, helping reduce concentration risk and deepen market resilience.
On the commercial side, Gurugram RERA approved about 4,000 commercial units, of which 168 were dedicated to IT parks, reinforcing Gurugram’s position as a preferred hub for technology firms and Global Capability Centres.
Analysts noted that the combination of office-led employment growth and residential expansion continues to make Gurugram attractive for long-term capital deployment.
Industry experts said the scale of investments approved in 2025 highlights Gurugram’s ability to attract capital despite global uncertainty, supported by infrastructure growth, a strong corporate base and an improving regulatory environment.
“With a large pipeline of approved projects and sustained interest from developers and institutional investors, Gurugram is expected to remain a key real estate investment destination in the coming years,” a Gurugram-based real estate expert said.
Tighter regulatory checks
Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to enhance transparency and safeguard homebuyer and investor interests.
“These steps included stricter scrutiny of developer submissions, mandatory site inspections by domain experts, and public consultation through mandatory notices before project registration,” an Authority official said.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google.
January 16, 2026, 07:44 IST
Read More
Last Updated:
National Startup Day highlights India’s thriving startup ecosystem, celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation driven by founders, unicorns and Startup India mission
National Startup Day 2026 honours Indian startups, entrepreneurs and innovators driving economic growth and job creation.
National Startup Day 2026: India’s startup ecosystem has evolved into one of the world’s most vibrant and promising innovation hubs. To recognise the contribution of entrepreneurs, founders and startups transforming ideas into impactful solutions, National Startup Day is observed every year on January 16 across the country.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022, the day celebrates visionary entrepreneurs who play a crucial role in economic growth, employment generation and technological advancement.
National Startup Day serves as a reminder that innovation, backed by determination and policy support, can reshape society and create global impact.
National Startup Day 2026 Theme
The official theme for National Startup Day 2026 is yet to be announced. However, the core focus areas are expected to revolve around:
- Innovation and emerging technologies
- Entrepreneurship and leadership
- Self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat)
- Startup India Mission
- Youth empowerment
- Job creation
How Startups Are Shaping India’s Future
India currently ranks as the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, with over 1.59 lakh startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of early 2025. Backed by 100+ unicorns, the ecosystem continues to grow rapidly.
Metro cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR lead this expansion, while Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are emerging as new innovation centres, adding diversity and scale to India’s entrepreneurial journey.
Startups across fintech, edtech, health-tech, e-commerce and deep-tech are addressing real-world challenges and gaining global recognition. Technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and IoT are increasingly driving innovation, according to Startup India ecosystem reports.
Industry-Wise Startup Impact
DPIIT-recognised startups have generated over 16.6 lakh direct jobs across sectors as of October 31, 2024, strengthening India’s employment landscape.
- IT Services: 2.04 lakh jobs
- Healthcare & Life Sciences: 1.47 lakh jobs
- Commercial & Professional Services: 94,000 jobs
Through the Startup India initiative, the government continues to focus on skill development, funding access, ecosystem collaboration and global outreach.
Key Initiatives Under Startup India
- Capacity building and mentorship
- Outreach and awareness programmes
- Ecosystem development events
- International exposure and global linkages
- Collaboration between startups, corporates and institutions.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google.
January 16, 2026, 07:00 IST
Read More
Adidas Promo Codes: Up to 40% Off in January 2026
Vietnam interbank rates seen easing as credit growth cools
Canada Goose reshuffles leadership to drive global growth
-
Politics1 week agoUK says provided assistance in US-led tanker seizure
-
Entertainment1 week agoDoes new US food pyramid put too much steak on your plate?
-
Entertainment1 week agoWhy did Nick Reiner’s lawyer Alan Jackson withdraw from case?
-
Business1 week agoTrump moves to ban home purchases by institutional investors
-
Sports5 days agoClock is ticking for Frank at Spurs, with dwindling evidence he deserves extra time
-
Sports1 week agoPGA of America CEO steps down after one year to take care of mother and mother-in-law
-
Tech3 days agoNew Proposed Legislation Would Let Self-Driving Cars Operate in New York State
-
Business1 week agoBulls dominate as KSE-100 breaks past 186,000 mark – SUCH TV