DEHRADUN: As Uttarakhand prepares to mark its 26th Statehood Day on November 9, district figures reveal a sharp economic divide: Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Dehradun together accounted for 71.3% of the state’s total district economy in 2021-22. The remaining 10 districts contributed 28.7%.
Yet several hill districts recorded some of the state’s fastest growth that year, highlighting the gap between economic growth and the distribution of income and opportunity.
Nine hill districts generated primary-sector gross value added (GVA) of ₹11,765 crore. Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar together contributed ₹10,746 crore, while Dehradun and Nainital accounted for ₹6,577 crore. The primary sector includes agriculture, horticulture, livestock, forestry, fisheries and mining.
The service sector was more concentrated. Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Nainital together generated ₹76,114 crore—about 72.3% of Uttarakhand’s total service-sector GVA of ₹1,05,233 crore. Services include trade, transport, tourism, finance, real estate and public administration.
Per capita income figures show a similar divide. Haridwar led at ₹3,62,688, followed by Udham Singh Nagar at ₹2,69,070 and Dehradun at ₹2,35,707. Among hill districts, Chamoli recorded the highest per capita income, at ₹1,27,330. Rudraprayag had the lowest, at ₹93,160—about a quarter of Haridwar’s.
At constant prices, Chamoli grew by 11.5% in 2021-22, while Pithoragarh and Champawat each grew by 11.2%. Haridwar grew by 10.3% and Dehradun by 8.78%. Bageshwar and Udham Singh Nagar recorded the lowest rates, at 7.92% and 7.65%, respectively. Officials attributed growth in Chamoli to services, and in Pithoragarh and Champawat to trade, vehicle repair, hotels and restaurants.
Dehradun benefits from a strong base in government, education, healthcare, trade and real estate. Industrial activity in Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar has also supported the growth of related services. In the hills, tourism and religious travel create opportunities, but their benefits do not reach all areas and local businesses evenly.
The directorate attributed Chamoli’s performance to service-sector growth, and the gains in Pithoragarh and Champawat to expansion in trade, vehicle repair, hotels and restaurants.
The figures point to a key challenge: translating growth and the hills’ natural resources into lasting local jobs and income. Tourism, horticulture, forest products, medicinal herbs, livestock and water offer potential, but limited processing, packaging and marketing can mean that more value is captured elsewhere. Tourism and religious travel also do not benefit all hill areas and businesses equally.
Statehood activist Pradeep Kukreti told TNIE: “The idea of the state was rooted in its hill districts, but the benefits have largely been visible in the plains. Successive governments spoke of transforming the hills, but no concrete policy was implemented on the ground. Even after 26 years, the debate is still about migration from the hills and providing basic facilities there.”
