Key Highlights

• Odisha cleared 27 industrial projects worth ₹2,47,115.70 crore, with potential employment of 50,162; four data-centre projects alone account for ₹1,42,941 crore.
• Karnataka’s Sustainable Data Centre Policy 2026–31 targets 1 GW of data-centre IT load by 2031, supported by a ₹1,300.45 crore incentive framework.
• Haryana enacted the Right to Business Act, 2026, introducing time-bound in-principle approvals for manufacturing MSMEs through self-declaration and a single-window system.
• Kerala’s SARAL framework introduces a single statutory mechanism and a maximum 75-day approval timeline for investment projects above ₹25 crore.
• Andhra Pradesh’s Dugarajapatnam greenfield shipyard received an investment commitment of around ₹15,000 crore, with annual capacity of 1.2 million gross tonnes.
• Odisha announced an 870-acre semiconductor and electronics hub at Naraj, with ₹23,600 crore in investment proposals and potential for 6,100 jobs.
• Gujarat introduced a GPU-as-a-Service framework, creating shared GPU infrastructure for government departments, educational institutions and eligible AI startups.

Key Takeaways

1. States are increasingly competing on execution capacity, with time-bound approvals and single-window systems becoming central to investment policy.
2. Emerging technologies are moving into state-level industrial policy, particularly through data centres, AI infrastructure, semiconductors and marine biotechnology.
3. Large investment announcements are increasingly concentrated around strategic sectors, including electronics, green energy, shipbuilding and digital infrastructure.
4. State welfare policy is becoming more targeted, combining worker support, women-led entrepreneurship and access to public services.
5. Governance reforms are increasingly focused on reducing administrative friction, improving transparency and making state institutions more responsive.