Chandigarh, Oct 23 : Presenting Punjab's industrial growth before a team of NITI Aayog, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday sought incentives for industry of the state on a par with neighbouring hill states.

Addressing the gathering during the inaugural session of a workshop on MSME exports as drivers of growth for Punjab, the Chief Minister said that "it is the need of the hour to give subsidies and incentives to the industrialists of Punjab on a par with the hill states".

He said Punjab being a border state should be given the status of ease of business on lines of hilly states.

"This will help ensure comprehensive industrial development as the state has lagged in industrial growth due to incentives to hill areas," he said.

Describing MSMEs as the backbone of the state's economy, the Chief Minister said the government and MSMEs would have to come together and work as a team for the exponential growth of the state. He invited the captains of industry to take advantage of the initiatives of the government of Punjab to become globally competitive and shine on the world's centre stage.

Mann said that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a crucial role in the growth of the economy contributing significantly to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Gross Value Added (GVA), employment generation, and exports.

In his address, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman, Suman Berry, said the state has a huge opportunity to excel in the MSME sector. He said the time has come when the relationship between the agrarian and industrial sectors is made productive in the state. He batted for an integrated strategy for these sectors for the holistic development of the state's economy. He said Punjab is rapidly growing in the industrial sector but more can be done in this regard. He said faster, better and cleaner should be the three characteristics of development in the state during the coming times.

Mohali is a perfectly feasible location for the IT sector and professionals, he said, adding that he hoped that deliberations would be a huge success for the state.

/IANS