LUCKNOW: Playing host and welcoming the investors, industry captains, dignitaries and foreign delegates as an MP from the state at Global Investors Summit-2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described Uttar Pradesh as the “engine driving growth of New India.”
While inaugurating the three-day mega business event, the biggest ever to be organised in the state, Modi highlighted how UP, which was known to be a BIMARU state where scams were frequent and a feeling of “hopelessness” reigned, was now leading the growth of the country which, he said, was moving fast on the path of reforms.
“If India is the bright spot in the world, then UP is leading her growth. The country is reforming out of conviction and not compulsion,” said the PM. Modi attributed the role of UP as the growth engine of the country to the radical change and dynamism in the ‘soch’ (thought process) and “approach” of the ruling dispensation over the past 5-6 years.
“Earlier, the investment used to be considered ‘waste’ but now it is deemed to be ‘the best.’ This change in ‘soch’ and ‘approach’ has led the state to create a suitable atmosphere for ease of doing business,” he said.
While addressing a gathering of over 5,000 guests, including investors at the business meet, the PM said UP had changed to such an extent in the last few years that now it had acquired the new identity “rightfully” of being a state known for “its good governance, improved law and order, peaceful atmosphere and political stability.”
The PM said: “The massive infrastructure development in the recent past is driving growth of New India. From electricity to connectivity, there has been a holistic development in UP and the state is set to become soon the only state in the country with five international airports.” PM Modi also dwelt upon how India’s growth story was changing. “Health, education, green growth, and social infrastructure are great opportunities for investors in India,” he said.
Calling upon the investors to come to UP, the PM said that like whole of India, a huge aspirational society was waiting for them in Uttar Pradesh. “The development in the field of social, physical and digital infrastructure in the country has benefitted UP to a great extent. This has led the society to integrate and be connected with social and financial developments. UP’s textile, manufacturing, farming, logistics, digital clusters along with sectors like dairy, food processing and fisheries provide enormous opportunities to the investors to become a part of UP’s growth story,” said the PM.
Earlier, while welcoming the guests at the summit, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said the “excellent” law and order situation in the state led to the perceptible change in the approach of investors towards UP. “It is well reflected in the fact that even ahead of the summit, we have received investment intents worth over Rs 32 lakh crore and signed over 18,000 MoUs,” said the CM.
He said for the convenience of investors in the state, a single-window portal ‘Nivesh Mitra’ was providing 406 services of 33 departments, policies had been introduced for 25 different sectors and the state’s exports doubled during the last five years. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, too, highlighted the various ventures introduced by the present government, saying that these put forward a new vision for the business community.
“Today, the business community is not only looked upon with respect and trust but also considered as significant contributors to the development of society as wealth creators,” said Rajnath. Speaking at the summit, Singh also launched a verbal attack on “pseudo-secularism,” which not only prevented industrialists from moving forward but also hampered the established industries.” “Old, ineffective and redundant rules, which had become a ‘red tape’ for the industry in the past, have transformed into a ‘red-carpet’ in the present times,” said Rajnath Singh.