Lucknow to host industry conclave in May

With the change of guard in Uttar Pradesh last month, the industry has been showing greater confidence in the government headed by the IT-savvy and young Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav.

Taking the industrial agenda forward, Lucknow is gearing up to host an industry conclave next month.

Anil Kumar Gupta, commissioner, State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation, said many industrialists are expected at the event, which would see Yadav interacting with them and showcasing ‘Brand Uttar Pradesh’.

The dates for the conclave were yet to be finalised, but it is expected to be held after May 20, Gupta said on the sidelines of an interaction with the Confederation of Indian Industry members. At the event, he sought industry members’ suggestions for speeding the industrial development in the state. The conclave would be an industry initiative.

“Any state would develop faster if the chief minister takes an initiave. UP is fortunate to have a young and dynamic head of the government, who is proactively following the industrial agenda,” he added.

Gupta said the government plans to hold similar conclaves in metro cities across the country and even foreign locations, to highlight the potential of the state.

“However, we want to first focus on our current resources to give impetus to the industrialisation process,” he underlined.

Since the new government took over, industrialists have been talking to the government both formally and informally with investment proposals. This is because they could perceive positive change, said Gupta.

However, the government had not fixed any investment target yet.

The previous Mayawati- regime had targeted about Rs 2,00,000 crore of private investment mostly under public private partnership mode. However, not many of these saw the light of day, except for the 165-km Yamuna Expressway between Agra and Greater Noida.