Having surmounted handicaps posed by pandemic-induced lockdown, the industry in Punjab has bounced back, reviving jobs and revenue.

• A whopping 96 per cent of the total units registered in the state have resumed operations with 97 per cent of the total workforce back in action.

• During the lockdown, only 435 of the total 2.6 lakh units, including 500 large units, were left operational in the state.

• In Ludhiana — the Manchester of Punjab — which has the largest number of registered units in any district of the state, 81,812 of the total 95,202 industries have become operational with the return of 5,05,893 of the total 7,69,245 workers.

• In Punjab, 2,37,118 industries with 16,08,108 workforces have resumed operations.

• Industries in Ludhiana were hit hard as 13,390 units closed down with 2,73,906 of its workers losing jobs. This was 92.58 per cent of the total 14,462 industrial units that had closed down in the state, while the workforce rendered jobless in Ludhiana was 98.08 per cent of the total 2,79,245 losing jobs in the state.

• To further ease out the regulatory burden on the industrialists for setting up their new units, the Punjab Right to Business Act, 2020, was notified and implemented in October, empowering the District Bureau of Enterprises to issue certificates of in-principal approval within three to 15 working days to new MSMEs being set up in industrial parks or zones in the state.

• Moreover, all 45 reforms under the District Reform Action Plan, mandated by the DPIIT, were implemented to further improve ease of doing business and eliminate physical touch-points between entrepreneurs and district-level functionaries.

• Under the State Reform Action Plan, 2020, mandated by the DPIIT, 285 of the total 301 reforms have already been implemented in the state.
• The state government played a vital role in facilitating the operations of industries and transportation of migrant labourers seeking employment. The day-to-day operational problems of the industry were taken up with departments concerned on a 24x7 basis and continuous efforts were made for revival of the industry in the state.