Industrial growth, fresh investment, and jobs for local youth — those were the three pillars on the table when Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami sat down with Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) Chairman Pankaj Chaddha at the Chief Minister's residence in Dehradun on Wednesday, 14 October 2026.

The Chief Minister's Office confirmed the meeting, noting that Dhami and Chaddha held wide-ranging discussions on 'encouraging industrial development, expanding investment potential, and creating new employment avenues through industry' — औद्योगिक विकास को प्रोत्साहित करने, निवेश की संभावनाओं को बढ़ाने और उद्योगों के माध्यम से रोजगार के नए अवसर सृजित करने [encouraging industrial development, expanding investment possibilities, and creating new employment opportunities through industries].

Dhami's pitch: local talent, local resources, stronger economy

Speaking at the meeting, CM Dhami said the state government is 'continuously working to develop an industry-friendly environment and to encourage investment in Uttarakhand.' He framed the effort around unlocking what already exists inside the state — its natural resources, local talent, and entrepreneurial potential — rather than relying solely on outside capital.

'The government's endeavour is to strengthen the state's economy by making better use of the resources available in the state, local talent, and the possibilities of entrepreneurship,' Dhami said. Generating employment and self-employment opportunities for local youth alongside industrial development is listed as one of the government's stated priorities.

Why EEPC at the CM's table matters

The Engineering Export Promotion Council is an apex body under India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry that promotes engineering goods exports and connects exporters with state-level investment ecosystems. When its chairman walks into a Chief Minister's office, it typically signals a state's interest in drawing manufacturing units — particularly engineering and precision-parts sectors — into its industrial corridors.

Uttarakhand has been positioning itself as a manufacturing destination that offers proximity to the National Capital Region while still carrying the hill-area incentives first formalised under the Uttarakhand Industrial Policy of 2018, which included capital subsidies and tax benefits for units setting up in the state. Engagement with bodies like EEPC fits squarely into that arc, and into the broader national frameworks of Ease of Doing Business and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The migration problem underneath the investment pitch

There is a sharper, harder edge to this conversation. Uttarakhand has long grappled with out-migration as young people leave hill districts for plains cities in search of work. Every industrial investment the state can anchor locally is, in practical terms, a bet against that demographic drain. Dhami's repeated emphasis on youth employment and self-employment is not incidental — it is the political and social logic that gives economic summits like this one their urgency.

No specific investment commitments or MoUs from Wednesday's meeting have been confirmed at this stage. What to watch: whether the Dhami-Chaddha dialogue translates into sector-specific incentive packages or a formal investor outreach event in the months ahead.