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Make Mohali India’s Silicon Valley, Mann exhorts young investors at TiECON Chandigarh
The chief minister, addressing the audience at the 9th edition of TiECON Chandigarh 2024, emphasised the remarkable ability of Punjabis to transform ventures into profitable endeavours through their inherent risk-taking spirit
{Tiecon 2024}
Highlighting the inherent leadership qualities and entrepreneurial spirit ingrained in Punjabis, chief minister Bhagwant Mann called upon potential startup investors to collaborate with the state government and contribute towards making Punjab the most attractive investment destination.
The chief minister, addressing the audience at the 9th edition of TiECON Chandigarh 2024, emphasised the remarkable ability of Punjabis to transform ventures into profitable endeavours through their inherent risk-taking spirit. He assured the gathered industry leaders of his full support in driving the state’s growth trajectory.
Exhorting the young investors, he emphasised, “Punjab has immense talent. Let’s envision Mohali as the next Silicon Valley. The government is committed to providing full support and necessary resources.”
“I aspire for the youth of Punjab to be job creators, not job seekers,” stated Mann. He also advised aspiring entrepreneurs not to take failures to heart but to keep them in mind, learn from them, and bounce back.
Reflecting on the initiatives implemented by his government over the past two years, the chief minister highlighted the success achieved through innovative measures, such as colour-coded stamp papers. These initiatives have significantly reduced the time required for business approvals, he added.
He said the state government had been striving to expedite approvals by easing regulations and eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles. He encouraged young individuals to propose innovative ideas that could enhance the efficiency and accessibility of citizen-centric services. The CM also highlighted the significance of world class educational facilities in and around Mohali.
“At present, we possess top-notch educational facilities that will play a pivotal role in overall development, particularly in attracting the right talent,” expressed Mann. He urged parents to comprehend and assess their children’s inherent talents to excel in specific fields or streams.
Identifying talent early was crucial and with this aim we started Schools of Eminence, where up to Class 8, a child’s aptitude was evaluated to ascertain the field they will excel in, the chief minister said.
On the occasion, he also released the “StartUP Punjab Eco System 2.0” document, which encapsulates the state’s journey towards becoming the most-favoured investment destination.
Additional chief secretary Tejveer Singh said the state government had come up with a robust and dynamic industrial policy, it was working hard to make the best of facilities accessible to every investor. Owing to these efforts, Punjab had ranked as the top performer in States Startup Ranking 2022, he added.
TiE Chandigarh president Harit Mohan said the aim was to make “Brand Punjab” a reality to bring greater success and prosperity to the state through information technology (IT). The impact of TiE professionals’ hard work on the state’s IT ecosystem had been recognised globally, Mohan said.
“Since 1992, when TiE was instituted in Silicon Valley, our dedicated team of professionals have created 1 trillion dollars worth of wealth besides creating 205 million jobs globally,” he added.
Prominent among those present were DPS Kharbanda, an IAS officer and CEO, Invest Punjab; Shiv Khera, acclaimed author-educator and business consultant; Aman Gupta, CMO, Boat Lifestyle; Ankur Warikoo, founder, WebVeda; IS Paul, director, Cedrus Bio-Products Pvt Ltd; Partap Aggarwal, founder, CEO, IDS Infotech, and British deputy high commissioner Caroline Rowett.
