Ludhiana, Oct 20 (IANS): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday said massive investment made by the prestigious Tata Group in the state would herald a new era of industrial development and progress.

Addressing the gathering after performing the ground-breaking ceremony of green steel facility coming up here at cost of nearly Rs 2,600 crore, he said that this is the second largest plant by Tata Group in the country after Jamshedpur.

Mann said besides opening new avenues of employment for the youth, this facility would act as a catalyst in giving fillip to industrial development.

He announced the government would construct the road leading to the site of the plant from the national highway. He said due to efforts made by the government, Punjab has received investments to the tune of Rs 56,796 crore since March 2022 and generated employment opportunities for 2.98 lakh youth.

He said in the past 18 months some of the biggest companies like Tata Steel, Sanathan Textiles, Toppan, and Freudenberg Group are making a beeline to invest in the state.

Mann said as promised by his government they had taken a path-breaking initiative of organising the ‘Sarkar Sanatkar Milnis’ to facilitate the industrialists. The Chief Minister said Invest Punjab has been instrumental in providing support in facilitating Tata Steel’s entry into the state.