Governor Gulab Chand Kataria said on Saturday that the bicycle industry had immense potential and urged local industrialists to rally behind it.
He also appealed to the industrialists to adopt children from economically weak backgrounds for educational support and capacity building.
Kataria was in the city as the chief guest at All-India Cycle Manufacturers’ Association’s (AICMA) fifth award ceremony. The event was aimed at celebrating excellence, innovation and dedication in the bicycle sector.
A total of seven awards were presented during the ceremony, honouring outstanding individuals and entities shaping the bicycle industry landscape.
Additionally, 27 top-performing schoolchildren, including 10 from the district, were given new bicycles.
The Governor commended AICMA’s initiative to promote innovation and excellence within the bicycle sector, emphasising its socio-economic significance.
Minister for Industries and Commerce Aman Arora said the state government will make all out efforts to support the bicycle sector, which is largely based in Punjab. He said the Industries Department will look into demands of the industry for a world-class research and development centre. He assured to take up other issues, which are in the pipeline, with the Centre.
AICMA president Rishi Pahwa emphasised the need to institutionalise cycling at various levels, advocating for supportive policies and infrastructure.
