- During the 3rd investor summit, Adani group announced that it is going to invest Rs 70,000 crores in Uttar Pradesh
- The massive inflow of investment is a testament to hard work done by the duo of PM Modi and CM Yogi
- It won’t be a surprise if India’s financial capital changes from Mumbai to a city in Uttar Pradesh
Not a long ago, people used to speak about Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the same breath. Generally, it was a negative tone as both states were associated with negative sentiments of poor law and order. The investment was minimal, to say the least. But, after CM Yogi came to the fore, UP has taken a giant leap forward and the state is getting industrialised at a massive pace. In the latest development, Adani group is set to do a massive overhaul of the state’s infrastructure.
Massive infrastructure boost to Uttar Pradesh
PM Modi recently inaugurated the 3rd edition of UP investors summit. Along with the summit highlighting UP’s advance under CM Yogi, it brought in possibly the biggest news of the century for Upites. Adani group announced that it will be investing Rs 70,000 crores in the state. During the summit, Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani group further informed that out of these Rs 70,000 crores, Company has already invested Rs 11,000 crores in transmission, green energy, water, agri-logistics and our data centre business.
Out of the remaining Rs 59,000, the industry giant will be investing Rs 24,000 crores on road and transport infrastructure. Rest Rs 35,000 crores will be spent on multi-model logistics and defence sectors. Outlining that UP’s advent will define India, he added, “Our large investments are the sign of our confidence that Uttar Pradesh of today will define India of tomorrow,”
Read more: India supersedes the G20 nations, PM Modi’s thumping announcement at the UP-Investor Summit
UP’s rise as an investment destination
The sheer size of Adani group’s investment may come off as a surprise for many, but it may be too little for the state. After CM Yogi came to power in 2017, he set out a plan to utilise UP’s demographic as well as geographical potential. The biggest hurdle was the damaged condition of law and order in the state. Crimes were rampant and it was next to impossible to set up an industry without consulting local mafias. ‘Consultation’ involved paying a fee in the form of extortion.
The Yogi government changed the scenario with a whip. It freed local police from any kind of political pressure. As a result of which, within one year, the sentiments around the state took a radical shift. Quickly, CM Yogi decided to engage big industrialists in the state’s growth story. In 2018 itself, the BJP government in UP organised the 1st UP investors summit. It brought in investments worth Rs 61,500 crores in 81 projects. The next edition of Summit in 2019 brought in Rs 67,000 crores involving 290 projects.
Read more: Unprecedented success of UP government in war against criminals
Covid-19 could not stop the juggernaut
Later, Covid-19 happened and pandemic related lockdowns shut down production facilities for a brief hiatus. However, the UP government did not give up. It efficiently managed the health crisis and was one of the best performing states in the country. The efficiency brought in praises from foreign experts as well. Robert Malone, inventor of the mRNA vaccine, praised the Yogi government on a podcast with Joe Rogan.
Meanwhile, investments kept flowing in the state. According to an October 2021 report by Economic Times, the state received investment worth Rs 3 lakh crores in 4 and half years of Yogi government. The state is becoming a focal point of defence manufacturing in India. The central government has set up defence industrial corridors having its nodes in Agra, Aligarh, Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Lucknow and Kanpur.
Duo of PM Modi and CM Yogi did magic
In the investor summit, Gautam Adani highlighted how the duo of PM Modi and CM Yogi brought sweeping changes in the state. “Honourable Prime Minister from the day you became chief minister of Gujarat I had the privilege to have closely observed as you conceptualised, executed and institutionalised an economic model driven by tremendous focus on industrialisation and balanced development for all now as the prime minister you are implementing the same Gujarat model across the country and the effect is transformational. Uttar Pradesh is a symbol of this quantum leap forward.” said Adani.
Read more: From Akhilesh’s Saifai Mahotsav to Yogi’s Investors Summit worth 10 lakh crores, how UP is evolving
Though the third edition of investors summit was delayed due to Covid, still the enthusiasm around the event did not weather off. At the summit, CM Yogi emphatically announced that his administration has received investment proposals worth Rs 80,000 crores. It will increase the economic circumstances of an additional 25 lakh families. 5 lakh families will directly benefit from it while 25 lakh will benefit indirectly. In fact, the Yogi government is planning to organise a global investors summit as well.
Given the fact that UP has the highest number of MSMEs(90 lakhs) in India, it should not be a surprise that a big city in the state may turn out to be a replacement for Mumbai as the financial capital of India in the near future.