Gurgaon: Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Monday that Haryana, despite accounting for only 2% of India’s geographical area, had emerged as a major manufacturing, automotive, technology and services hub, with the city playing a prominent role in global business and services.Saini said that to promote Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit-2027 — to be held from April 5 to 7, 2027 — roadshows will be organised in seven major cities of the country and nine major global economic centres including Japan, South Korea, Davos, Germany, the UK, Brazil, Chile and Dubai. Earlier, the summit held in 2016 had received investment proposals worth Rs 6.4 lakh crore.While speaking at an event organised in collaboration with the UK High Commission in the city, Saini said Haryana is looking to turn India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) into a new export and investment opportunity for the state, with govt identifying textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery and engineering among the sectors that could gain better access to the UK market.Addressing the session — Haryana-UK CETA trade bridge: Unlocking global opportunities for Haryana — CM said the agreement could also connect Haryana’s youth, farmers, MSMEs and startups with global investors, technology and new markets.Saini said Haryana had adopted a “Go Global” approach amid changes in global supply chains and the growing importance of artificial intelligence. “The state govt’s foreign cooperation department (FCD), set up in 2020, would facilitate investment and trade and help businesses take advantage of opportunities emerging from CETA,” he said.British deputy high commissioner (Chandigarh) Alba Smeriglio said industrial hubs — such as Gurgaon, Manesar, Faridabad and Panipat — offered considerable scope for collaboration.CM said that ‘Happening Haryana 2.0’ international outreach campaign was launched from Mumbai on Aug 23 and 24.In Mumbai, MoUs worth more than Rs 66,000 crore were signed with 17 companies. During this period, interactions were also held with more than 200 leading business leaders, entrepreneurs and members of the Haryanvi diaspora.Govt has introduced 10 sector-specific policies covering areas including semiconductors, electronics, artificial intelligence, data centres, medical devices, automobiles, electric vehicles, agribusiness and global capability centres.It has set a target of attracting Rs 5 lakh crore in fresh investment and creating more than 10 lakh jobs by 2030-31. Saini said 110 MoUs involving Rs 1.1 lakh crore, including Rs 24,350 crore of foreign investment, were signed on the first day of the launch of the policies.Govt has also set a target of doubling Haryana’s exports under its Progressive MSME and Export Promotion Policy-2026.Saini said more than 15 lakh MSMEs had been formally registered in the state since its first MSME policy was introduced in 2019.CM also invited UK representatives and other global partners to the International Gita Jayanti Mahotsav-2026, saying the event could provide an opportunity to combine economic engagement with cultural and educational exchanges.Adviser to CM in FCD Pawan Choudhary said Haryana had already started working to translate the agreement into actual export orders, investment and employment opportunities since it came into effect on July 15.According to Choudhary, Haryana’s exports increased from around $12 billion in 2019-20 to $19 billion in 2025-26. The state currently has 12,271 registered startups, of which more than 11,500 are recognised under DPIIT and Startup India, he said.“The endeavour is to ensure that these opportunities are not confined merely to the agreement, but are translated into actual business, investment and employment,” Choudhary said.Smeriglio said the success of CETA would ultimately be measured by the business partnerships, investments, trade growth and employment it generated.She said Haryana’s strengths in manufacturing, agriculture, technology and services complemented the UK’s expertise in innovation, advanced manufacturing, financial services, education and research.Smeriglio said CETA could help Haryana’s manufacturing, agriculture, food-processing and textile sectors expand in the UK, while creating opportunities for British companies to invest and form partnerships in the state.Industries and commerce minister Rao Narbir Singh said the objective was not merely to increase bilateral trade but also to develop technology partnerships, generate employment and give Haryana businesses access to international markets.“Come to Haryana, invest in Haryana, partner with Haryana,” he said, calling for greater participation by UK companies.Representatives of HSBC, JCB, Radio Design and University of Southampton shared their experiences of operating in Haryana and highlighted opportunities for further trade, industrial and educational collaboration between the state and the UK.
