The Punjab government on Thursday said the JSW Group has announced plans to invest ₹1,500 crore in a steel sector project at Rajpura in Patiala district, following a meeting in Mumbai between state Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora and the company’s Chairman Sajjan Jindal.
According to an official statement, the proposed investment is expected to expand steel manufacturing capacity in the region and create direct and indirect employment. The meeting was also attended by Amit Dhaka, Chief Executive Officer of Punjab Invest, and focused on potential industrial expansion ahead of the Invest Punjab Summit scheduled for 13 March at Plaksha University.
Jindal said the Rajpura project would contribute to strengthening the state’s manufacturing base and deepen the steel value chain. He also conveyed the group’s intent to explore additional investments in Punjab across its other business verticals, including defence manufacturing, the automobile sector and renewable energy.
The JSW Group has interests in steel, energy, cement, infrastructure and paints, with manufacturing operations across several Indian states. The proposed Rajpura investment is part of the company’s broader capacity expansion strategy in northern India.
Arora said Punjab’s industrial profile includes established clusters in steel, auto components, textiles, sports goods, food processing and light engineering. He cited connectivity to northern markets, the presence of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and skilled manpower as factors supporting new investments in the state.
The minister said the government is finalising a revised industrial policy aimed at promoting advanced manufacturing and technology-driven sectors. According to him, the proposed policy framework will include fiscal incentives, plug-and-play infrastructure, sector-specific industrial parks and time-bound approvals through a single-window clearance mechanism.
He added that the state intends to focus on sectors such as electric mobility, advanced materials, defence manufacturing, renewable energy and high-end engineering, alongside traditional manufacturing industries. Employment generation and export-oriented growth remain central to the state’s industrial strategy, he said.
Jindal confirmed that he would attend the inaugural session of the upcoming investors’ summit. Discussions between the company and the state government are expected to continue as project details, timelines and regulatory clearances are worked out.
The announcement comes as Punjab seeks to attract fresh manufacturing investments amid competition from neighbouring states offering incentive-led industrial policies. The state government has in recent years emphasised faster clearances and infrastructure support as part of its investment outreach.
