Chandigarh: Punjab Industries and Commerce Minister Aman Arora on Friday, October 30, held strategic talks with a high-level British delegation at Invest Punjab in Chandigarh, positioning Punjab as a prime manufacturing base for UK businesses under the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), IANS reported.

The delegation was led by Deputy High Commissioner Alba Smeriglio and included First Secretary Trade Nicholas Gribit, Senior Trade Adviser Anup Narayan and officials of the British High Commission.

Deliberations focused on agri-business, food processing, engineering, auto components and industry-linked skilling. Arora detailed the state's Industrial and Business Development Policy of 2026 and highlighted the dedicated FTA and Export Facilitation Cell set up to help international businesses use trade agreements and maximise export potential from Punjab. The British delegation evinced keen interest in Punjab's skilled workforce, IANS reported.

The clear limit: no specific investment commitments were announced at Friday's meeting. This is a government pitch — no agreement, investment amount or jobs figure has been settled.

What happens next: whether any UK firm moves from these talks to an actual investment decision in Punjab remains to be seen.