Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday called for collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to promote sustainable crop residue management, attract investment and create employment opportunities for youth.
Mann urged CII to scale up crop residue management efforts in the Malwa region, particularly Sangrur and Barnala, where the Parmal variety of paddy is cultivated. The meeting covered agriculture, horticulture, crop residue management, industrial and urban infrastructure, skill development and emerging sectors. The chief minister also backed knowledge and technology exchange in horticulture and assured CII of government support for facilitating a visit by the World Horticulture Centre to India during CII Agro Tech India 2026.
During a meeting with a CII delegation in Chandigarh, Mann said the government was working to strengthen Punjab’s industrial ecosystem and make the state an industrial hub. He said government-industry cooperation was needed to promote sustainability, resource efficiency, climate resilience and green technology while benefiting farmers. He said practical, affordable and technology-driven solutions could help farmers manage crop residue while reducing pollution. Mann said infrastructure was essential to improve ease of doing business, reduce costs and attract investment. He assured reliable and quality power supply to industrial areas, particularly during peak demand, and said infrastructure bottlenecks would be addressed. Mann said the government remained committed to strengthening Punjab’s economy through investment, technology and employment.
