Delhi's Cabinet, convened under Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, approved the Industrial Policy 2026 on Wednesday — a framework designed to steer the capital toward cleaner manufacturing, advanced technology, and knowledge-driven economic activity. Spanning a decade, the policy sets out an agenda to reshape the capital's economy around cleaner production methods and advanced technology.

The Cabinet has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the Mukhyamantri Udyamshree Yojana, covering a five-year period from 2026-27 through to 2030-31 under the terms of the policy. Attracting new industries, upgrading small and medium enterprises, and creating employment for young people and women are identified as the three central aims the policy is designed to achieve.

Gupta pointed to Delhi's existing infrastructure, institutions, and workforce as foundations the policy would build on, framing the initiative as a pathway toward positioning the city among India's more environmentally conscious and commercially advanced urban centres.

Ten industries have been designated under the framework as priority areas, with businesses in those sectors set to receive financial relief tied to capital outlays, property costs, and workforce expansion — alongside dedicated provisions for women-led ventures and digital platforms aimed at streamlining commercial operations. Financial incentives directed at industries under women's ownership carry approved ceilings that exceed those applicable to comparable programmes elsewhere. Businesses that engage women workers are eligible for additional financial incentives.

Two platforms — Invest Delhi and the Delhi Udyog Mitra Portal — have been established to reduce the number of visits investors would otherwise need to make to government offices. Approval workflows, land allocation, and incentive claim procedures are designed to operate with full transparency and without delay through these platforms.

Under the IT, ITES, and Digital Services category, digital infrastructure support is set at 25 per cent of eligible costs — with an upper limit of Rs 10 crore, or Rs 12 crore where the venture is led by women — while rental expenses attract a 40 per cent assistance component, and each new position created draws a per-employee payout of between Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000.

Under the GCC category, digital infrastructure support reaches up to Rs 50 crore — or Rs 60 crore where the unit is led by women — while each new position created attracts a per-hire payment of between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.2 lakh, and research and development activity qualifies for grant funding of as much as Rs 5 crore.

Three financial incentives are available for data centre operators: a capital investment subsidy reaching Rs 10 crore, a grant of Rs 2 crore directed at cooling systems that draw minimal water, and a further allocation of up to Rs 50 lakh tied to data security and regulatory compliance requirements.

Under the research and development component, qualifying firms can access a grant covering half of eligible R&D expenditure, with the disbursement ceiling set at Rs 50 lakh, while patent-related support of Rs 5 lakh per filing is available across a maximum of four patents.

Under the health and wellness provisions, large hospitals exceeding 1,000 beds stand to receive funding of as much as Rs 100 crore, while separate monetary incentives of between Rs 50,000 and Rs 60,000 are available to facilities that bring specialist doctors onto their payrolls.

Under the urban logistics strand, warehouse construction can attract government support of as much as Rs 10 crore, while operators establishing cold chain infrastructure stand to receive grants of up to Rs 2 crore. Under the circular economy and e-waste management bracket, qualifying recycling and electronic-waste handling units stand to receive financial support of between Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore per allocation.

Units focused on precision manufacturing may draw capital investment assistance of up to Rs 5 crore, with women-led operations qualifying for an enhanced ceiling of Rs 6 crore. Businesses looking to build training infrastructure or establish Centres of Excellence can access financial support of up to Rs 2 crore under the scheme's skill development provisions. Under a scheme targeting technology upgrades and rooftop solar installation, small and medium enterprises stand to receive between Rs 5 crore and Rs 7 crore in funding support.