News & Events
Training Session at Invest Punjab | 28th January 2026
Mohali IT City IT Companies Association organized a Training Session on the FastTrack Punjab Portal & Right to Business Act in collaboration with Invest Punjab on 28th January 2026 at Invest Punjab, Sector 17, Chandigarh. The session was aimed at providing members with a clearer understanding of the FastTrack Punjab Portal and the key provisions of the Right to Business Act.
Mr. Amit Dhaka, IAS, CEO, Invest Punjab welcomed the Association members and shared that InvestPunjab is working resolutely to resolve various infrastructure related issues being faced.
He informed that the Investor’s Summit 2026 will be organized at Plaksha University on 13-15 March 2026. He further mentioned that the overall landscaping of IT City Mohali will be upgraded with improved signages, footpaths, and extensive plantation. He urged that the Association contribute effort/ take responsibility to ensure proper maintenance of the plants after the summit.
He informed that while Unified Building Rules 2025 have been notified, they are currently under stay by the Hon’ble High Court. He also shared that BCG Consulting has been engaged by GMADA with the mandate to promote Brand Mohali, which will benefit multiple sectors including IT, ITES, and Semiconductors.
Mr. Dhaka stated that plenary sessions on Brand Mohali and a GCC Conclave are being planned during the Investor’s Summit. Mr. Arunjit Singh Sidhu and Ms. Tania Garg will coordinate for the GCC Conclave. A core team will be formed, and the first round of discussions will be initiated shortly.
He further informed that the New IT Policy is expected to be launched by the end of February 2026, and the government is pitching for incentives for IT space developers as well as occupiers, with the objective of encouraging industries to shift or expand to Mohali. He emphasized that attracting the first few Global Capability Centres (GCCs) to Mohali would act as a catalyst, with more to follow. He also highlighted that Data Centres are a critical backbone for the IT ecosystem.
Mr. Dhaka mentioned that the Business First Portal has been created as one of the best ease-of-doing-business models in the country, enabling online applications and approvals. Audio-visual guides and AI-based assistance are also being developed to help investors navigate the portal. He urged members to actively use the portal and familiarize themselves with the processes. He requested industry to make the effort to understand the portal to derive full advantage of the same.
He also explained that the Right to Business Act is a law enacted by the Punjab Legislative Assembly, under which 19 In Principle Approvals are granted within 15 days to enable businesses to start work/ construction, while getting a time period of 3 years to get various regulatory clearances in parallel.
Mr. Manipal Dhariwal, President, Mohali IT City IT Companies Association thanked the CEO, Invest Punjab for the unconditional support extended to the Association. He assured that members would start using the portal and that the Association would act as a pilot industry to provide feedback.
Ms. Tania Garg, Sr. Consultant, Invest Punjab made a detailed presentation on the FastTrack Punjab Portal, sharing that 47 Regulatory Clearances / NOCs from 11 departments have been integrated into the portal with the key features including
- • 3-7-3 Scrutiny Protocol (3 days pre-scrutiny, one-time query within 7 days, and clarification within 3 days)
- • Deemed Approval Mechanism
- • Right to Service timelines reduced to 45 days
She explained the portal features, application process, G2B Services, and the E-Vault Service available on the platform.
Ms. Garg also presented the Right to Business (Amendment) Act, 2025, explaining its applicability, timelines, deemed approvals, and workflow.
While presenting the Vote of Thanks, Mr. Manipal expressed his appreciation to Team Invest Punjab for the informative session and thanked all members for sparing their valuable time to attend the programme.
He suggested that the Association Secretariat team create a checklist of approvals required by IT companies, in consultation with Ms. Tania Garg.
Around 35 members attended the session and benefited from the deliberations. Member queries were satisfactorily addressed.
A very productive Governing Council Meeting was also held after the session.
