Year of Mixed Weaves for Ludhiana industry: Policy silk and tariff thorns.

Ludhiana: As the sun sets on 2025, Ludhiana’s industrial heartland — the “Manchester of India” — finds itself at a high-stakes crossroads. The year was defined by a jarring contrast: record-breaking investment announcements and unprecedented government engagement shadowed by a deepening crisis for the small-scale manufacturers that form the city’s economic backbone. While high-level diplomacy and “Sectoral Committees” have provided a blueprint for 2026, the city enters the new year grappling with a stalled international airport, a critical labor shortage, and a trade war with the United States that has sent shockwaves through local counting houses. The Policy Pivot: A…