New Delhi, Dec 23: Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a significant participant in India’s expanding industrial infrastructure landscape, with 137 industrial parks spread over 2,841 hectares and 264 hectares of land currently available for investment, according to data released by the Government of India. The figures were highlighted as part of a comprehensive review of industrial parks across the country, underscoring J&K’s growing role in attracting manufacturing, logistics and allied industries.
The relatively less land available for future use is largely due to J&K’s geographical limitations and limited disposable land. Economic experts believe that even as J&K’s current agricultural land is shrinking at an alarming level, use of this land for further industrialisation would create a serious food security crisis for the state.
At the national level, India has 4,523 industrial parks mapped under the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB), covering a total area of about 7.70 lakh hectares, of which nearly 1.35 lakh hectares remain available for industrial development. The platform, developed by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), provides investors with GIS-enabled, real-time information on industrial land across States and Union Territories.
The Centre said industrial parks have become a key instrument for accelerating industrial growth, job creation and sustainable development. Developed in partnership with State governments and the private sector, these parks provide integrated infrastructure, shared facilities and simplified regulatory mechanisms to boost ease of doing business.
As part of the government’s push, 306 plug-and-play industrial parks are currently operational across India, while 20 more plug-and-play parks and smart cities are being developed under the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC). In the Union Budget 2025–26, an allocation of ₹2,500 crore was made specifically for the development of plug-and-play industrial parks, aimed at reducing project gestation periods and enhancing investor readiness.
The release also highlighted the Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS) as a key reform tool. IPRS evaluates parks on parameters such as infrastructure quality, sustainability, logistics connectivity, digitalisation, skill linkages and tenant feedback. In September 2025, IPRS 3.0 was launched with an expanded framework to align Indian industrial parks with global best practices and green standards.
According to the IPRS 2.0 assessment, 41 parks have been classified as ‘Leaders’, 90 as ‘Challengers’, and 185 as ‘Aspirers’, providing transparent benchmarks for investors and encouraging healthy competition among States and Union Territories.
The government noted that industrial parks are playing a central role in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and strengthening domestic manufacturing. Citing the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2025, it said India ranks among the world’s top five destinations for international project finance and greenfield investments, with FDI inflows of USD 43.76 billion during April–August 2025–26.
Officials emphasised that initiatives such as the India Industrial Land Bank, plug-and-play parks, ease of doing business reforms, and quality benchmarking through IPRS are collectively creating a more predictable, investor-friendly industrial ecosystem. With continued focus on sustainability, digital land access and infrastructure upgrades, industrial parks are expected to remain key drivers of regional development, employment generation and India’s integration into global value chains.
