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Punjab has been working towards improving its infrastructure to ensure better
accessibility and facilities to the industry at large and to attract investment
into the state.
Social infrastructure
Punjab has a literacy rate of 70 per cent, according to the Census (2001).The
state has been steadily building its human resources to enable its people to
cope with the challenges of the 21st century. It has been encouraging private
sector participation in the education sector, particularly in the area of
technical and vocational education.
The state has 41 engineering colleges, 15 pharmacy colleges, 46 management
and computer science institutes and over 170 industrial training institutes,
including those in the private sector. Every year about 17,640 engineers and
close to 3 1,689 technically qualified individuals graduate from Punjab's
industrial training institutes.
Punjab is also gearing up to be a hub for biotechnology. It has five leading
biotech institutions that produce 200 graduates and 100 postgraduates and
doctorates in the field of biotechnology/ bio-engineering. These institutes are
the Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST), Punjab
Agriculture University (PAU), Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology (TIET),
Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH) and and the Postgraduate Institute of
Medical Education & Research (PGIMER). The state also has a network of 205
hospitals and 2,037 health centres.
Access infrastructure
The road infrastructure in Punjab is among the most developed
in India. The network of national and state highways aggregating
3,700 km provides convenient access to all parts of the state. Under the
on-going National Highway Development Programme (NHDP), a length of 3 1 1 km is
being converted into 4/6 laned highways. The State Government has also announced
plans to develop 12 road corridors aggregating 845 km through public-private
partnership. These projects are likely to commence in 2005.
Punjab is well connected by rail with all its main cities, Chandigarh,
Ludhiana, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Jalandhar on the main line to New Delhi. With
the completion of a number of on-going railway projects, the railway
infrastructure in Punjab will get a further boost. These projects shall improve
the intra-state connectivity and enhance the carrying capacity of major rail
corridors in the state facilitating faster movement of goods, particularly food
grains and items destined for export markets.
Punjab has an international airport at Amritsar and domestic airports at
Chandigarh and Ludhiana.The airport at Amritsar has an air cargo complex, while
Ludhiana has an inland container depot. Container freight stations are also
planned at Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Rajpura.
PowerPower is pivotal to Punjab's industrial and agriculture sectors and the state
has been working towards expanding and strengthening its power infrastucture to
meet the increasing consumer demand in various sectors of the economy.
Source: Punjab Statistical
Abstract 2003
The State Government has signed Power Purchase Agreements with a number of
power generating agencies through Power Trading Corporation, National Thermal
Power Corporation (NTPC) and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
Punjab has an installed electricity generation capacity of 4,452 MW (2004). Over
the last decade electricity consumption has increased 5 per cent per annum on an
average.
Source: Punjab Statistical
Abstract 2003
Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has planned an additional capacity of
2,277 MW during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period. Two major electricity
generation projects under implementation are GHTP Lehra Mohabbat and the Bharat
Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) Hydro Project. Together these will generate 518 MW
of power. PSEB intends to enter into a joint venture with the Gas Authority of
India Ltd (GAIL) to
set up a 1,000 MW gas plant near Doraha at a cost of over US$ 851 million. A
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NHPC is also on the anvil to initiate the
process of implementing the 168 MW Shahpur Kandi Hydel Project.
Communications infrastructure
The state has seen a significant improvement in its telecommunications
infrastructure since the announcement of the new National Telecommunications
Policy (NTP) in 1999, which emphasised the participation of the private sector
in the telecommunications industry. Since then, fixed wire telephone subscribers
have increased from 0.4 million in 1995 to 1.9 million in 2002, while mobile
subscribers touched 2.3 million in 2004.
Industrial infrastructure
The Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation (PSIDC) has developed
over 80 industrial estates, growth centres and industrial focal points in the
state.These estates provide the units with basic infrastructure, which include
uninterrupted electricity and water supply, sewerage and common roads.
Punjab's key business and commercial centres are:
Chandigarh - MohaliChandigarh is the capital city of Punjab and the administrative headquarters
of the Government of Punjab. Mohali is a twin township of Chandigarh and the hub
for Information Technology (IT)/Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES),
electronics and pharmaceutical industries. The State Government is actively
pursuing proposals to set up an IT-based Special Economic Zone at Mohali.
Ludhiana - JalandharSpread over 6,400 sq km Ludhiana - Jalandhar are two of Punjab's largest cities
with a population of over five million.They also form Punjab's principal
industrial hubs, dominated by textiles and light engineering goods industries.
Ludhiana is the domestic leader in acrylic yarn and
woollens and is gearing up for growth in knitwear exports in the post quota
regime, especially as the Indian textile industry enjoys a zero excise status.
Ludhiana - AmritsarUnder the Government of India's Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme,
the state is developing two industrial clusters, at Ludhiana and Amritsar, to
promote cotton and woollen textile exports respectively. These clusters involve
an investment of US$ 1 1 million each. The State Government is also working out
the modalities of setting up a General Product Zone in Amritsar.
Punjab Apparel ParkTo offer superior infrastructure support to apparel export units, the State
Government is developing the Punjab Apparel Park at Ludhiana. The park to be set
up at the cost of US$ 75 million will be developed by the Apparel Exporters
Association of Ludhiana (APPEAL) in collaboration with the Punjab Small
Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC). Spread over 100 acres, the park will
be self sufficient in terms of infrastructure, with an effluent treatment plant
and a 5-10 MW captive power plant.
Pushpa Gujral Science CityThe State Government along with the Central
Government is setting up the Pushpa Gujral Science City (PGSC), an international
level science centre to encourage R&D in agriculture and promote agro-based
industry. The institute will be spread over 71 acres and will be located on the
Jalandhar - Kapurthala state highway.
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