Punjab Govt creating ecosystem for youth, startups and innovation: CM Mann
Babushahi Bureau
Mohali (Punjab), September 19, 2026: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday said the state government was working to create an ecosystem where young people could turn their ideas into businesses, innovations and employment opportunities without having to leave Punjab.
Addressing the ISB Leadership Summit-2026 at the Mohali campus of the Indian School of Business (ISB) as chief guest, Mann said the government had established a Startup Centre to help young innovators take their ideas forward. He also highlighted the ‘Business Blasters’ programme, under which students are provided seed money to develop and pursue business ideas.
Mann said innovative ideas developed by students of Punjab’s Schools of Eminence were also being taken forward for patenting. He said these initiatives were aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship among students from an early age and providing them with institutional and financial support.
Calling upon industrialists and investors to invest in Punjab, the Chief Minister said the state government was working to develop Punjab as a hub for industry, investment and innovation. He said agriculture would remain an important part of Punjab’s economy, but industrial growth was also necessary to generate employment and support long-term economic development.
“Punjab may be an agrarian state, but for the next phase of growth, industries must also come to Punjab. Agriculture and industry have to move forward together,” Mann said.
Referring to the presence of ISB in Mohali, Mann said the institution was contributing to an ecosystem of knowledge, research, entrepreneurship and investment in the state. He also highlighted the Startup Incubator at Kalkat Bhawan and said the government was prepared to extend institutional support to emerging entrepreneurs and innovative ventures.
The Chief Minister said the government wanted to ensure that young people did not have to leave Punjab in search of opportunities. He urged students to look beyond conventional career paths and focus on developing solutions to real-world problems.
Speaking on leadership, Mann said leadership was not limited to holding positions of authority but involved taking initiative, solving problems and creating opportunities for others. He encouraged ISB students to remain curious, ask difficult questions and learn from challenges.
Mann also highlighted Punjab’s entrepreneurial tradition and contribution to agriculture, industry and the national economy. He said Punjabis had established themselves across the world through hard work and enterprise and called on the state’s diaspora, industry and investors to contribute to Punjab’s next phase of economic growth.
Referring to the state’s industrial policy, Mann said the government was working towards a transparent and investor-friendly business environment where private investment, entrepreneurship and academic institutions could work together.
He said the future of Punjab depended on combining its agricultural strengths with industrialisation, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Mann also congratulated ISB on completing 25 years and said institutions such as ISB had an important role in preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs, professionals and business leaders.
The ISB Leadership Summit-2026, held on the theme ‘India Unbound: Defining Tomorrow’s Leadership’, brought together representatives from business, academia, entrepreneurship and public policy to discuss leadership, innovation and India’s future growth.