UK trade pact can drive Haryana exports, jobs and investment: CM Saini

CM Nayab Singh Saini said Haryana aims to attract ₹5 lakh crore investment and create over one million jobs by 2030-31 through sector-focused policies

The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will open new opportunities in the United Kingdom market for Haryana’s textile, footwear, gems and jewellery and engineering sectors, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Monday.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana Industries and Commerce Minister Rao Narbir Singh and British Deputy High Commissioner, Chandigarh, Alba Smeriglio during the Haryana-UK CETA trade exhibition at Gurugram University on Monday. (HT Photo)

Addressing the “Haryana-UK CETA Trade Bridge: Unlocking Global Opportunities for Haryana” programme organised in collaboration with the UK High Commission at Gurugram University, Saini said CETA would connect Haryana’s youth, farmers, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups with global investors and new technologies.

Saini said the state government aims to attract ₹5 lakh crore in fresh investment and create more than one million jobs by 2030-31. It has introduced 10 sector-specific policies covering semiconductors, electronics, artificial intelligence, data centres, medical devices, automobiles, electric vehicles, agribusiness and global capability centres. He said 110 MoUs involving ₹1.10 lakh crore, including ₹24,350 crore in foreign investment, had been signed on the first day of the policies’ launch.

He said Haryana had set a target of contributing $1 trillion to the Indian economy by 2047 and announced that the “Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit-2027” would be held from April 5 to 7 next year. Saini said the 2016 investors’ summit received investment proposals worth ₹6.41 lakh crore, while “Happening Haryana 2.0”, launched in Mumbai on August 23 and 24, resulted in MoUs worth more than ₹66,000 crore with 17 companies.

Meanwhile, industry and commerce minister Rao Narbir Singh said the Haryana-UK Trade Bridge would strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and education and invited UK companies to “come to Haryana, invest in Haryana, partner with Haryana”.

British Deputy High Commissioner to Chandigarh Alba Smeriglio said CETA could deepen cooperation in trade, investment, innovation and education. Meanwhile, Pawan Chaudhary, adviser to the chief minister in the Department of Foreign Cooperation, said Haryana’s exports rose from around $12 billion in 2019-20 to $19 billion in 2025-26. He said the state had 12,271 registered startups, with more than 11,500 recognised under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Startup India.

Saini also invited the visiting delegation to the International Gita Jayanti Festival-2026, visited an exhibition of Haryana and UK products and technologies, and launched the official logo of the state’s Department of Foreign Cooperation.