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

Published on: Sep 15, 2026, 08:48:00 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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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.

CM Saini further said more than 1.5 million MSMEs had been formally registered since February 2019. The Haryana Progressive MSME and Export Promotion Policy-2026 targets over ₹55,000 crore in investment, more than five lakh jobs and a doubling of exports.

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More

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