UP state GDP to touch Rs 32 lakh cr by March 2025: CM Yogi

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said the state's gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to reach Rs 32 lakh crore by March 2025 and the country's “fastest-growing” economy is paving the way for employment of “1.5 crore youth”. “The state will play a pivotal role in India's journey toward achieving a $5 trillion economy while moving swiftly towards becoming the nation's top economic powerhouse shortly,” Adityanath said at a function here on Wednesday. He also said that the state has secured “75 GI tags across 75 districts, with Varanasi leading the way”.

While referring to the initiatives to establish UP as a “major logistics hub” he highlighted the construction of a logistics multimodal terminal in Varanasi and proposed logistics hub in Gautam Buddha Nagar. He pointed to events like the Global Investors Summit, which attracted investment proposals “worth Rs 40 lakh crore” that have “transformed” UP's economic landscape. "Previously, securing Rs 20,000 crore in investments was considered a major achievement. He attributed such a change to the government's economic policies and the crackdown on mafia and anti-social elements. “Today, we have garnered Rs 40 lakh crore in proposals, paving the way for employment opportunities for 1.5 crore young people. Previous governments had a 'One District, One Mafia' policy, whereas we have branded Uttar Pradesh through the 'One District, One Product' (ODOP) initiative," he said.

“The state's GDP, which stood at Rs 12 lakh crore during previous regimes has now touched Rs 26 lakh crore (2023-24) while targeting Rs 32 lakh crore (by 2025),” he said. "Our government responds to criminals and mafia with the same severity with which they target citizens," he remarked while noting that measures like the Anti-Land Mafia Task Force, have reclaimed 64,000 acres of land from illegal possession. He cited the Shrimad Bhagvad Gita to illustrate the linkage between commerce and economic growth and added that ‘agriculture, cow protection, and businesses were ‘interconnected'.

Addressing security reforms, CM Yogi outlined significant improvements in the police force. He informed the audience about the recruitment of 1.54 lakh police personnel and the integration of cutting-edge technologies into law enforcement. "There was a time when criminals operated with the support of the police. Now, the situation has dramatically changed, with the UP Police fully equipped to instil fear in wrongdoers," he said at the event organised by the Business Standard. He said the simultaneous training of 6,000 police officers, and their collaboration with paramilitary and military centres has further enhanced the state's security infrastructure.

He highlighted key projects, including the completion of the Purvanchal and Bundelkhand Expressways, and ongoing work on the Ganga Expressway, which is set to have its main carriageway ready by the year-end. "The Gorakhpur-Link Expressway is now operational, and the nation's first 12-lane expressway has been launched between Delhi and Meerut. Additionally, metro rail projects are underway in six cities, and India's first waterway is now functional between Varanasi and Haldia", he stated.

Emphasizing achievements in trade and export, CM Yogi pointed out that Moradabad now exports goods worth Rs 16,000 crore, while Bhadohi's carpet industry has reached Rs 8,000 crore in exports. He also mentioned Firozabad's glass industry and Meerut's sports goods industry, as proof of growing recognition for prominent brands both in India and abroad and added that UP's MSME sector and skilled workforce were attracting large-scale investments. “PM Modi's Vishwakarma Yojana and the ODOP scheme are also generating employment alongside these significant investments,” he added.