UP NRIs on radar: Yogi government mulling 'Sister Town' concept

UP minister of state for NRI affairs Swati Singh says UP offers large untapped investment potential to the NRIs

L to R - Satish Mahana, Minister of Industrial Development,Government of Uttar Pradesh and Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh at UP Investors’ Summit Mumbai | Photo: Kamlesh Pednekar

The Yogi Adityanath government is mulling to adopt the ‘Sister Town’ concept to forge closer ties with foreign countries, especially having significant Uttar Pradesh Non-Resident Indian (NRI) population.

‘Sister Town or ‘Twin Town’ is the legal/social agreement between towns, provinces or even countries in distinct geographical areas to promote cultural and trade ties.

In the backdrop of the forthcoming UP Investors’ Summit, the state government is working on a multi-pronged approach to attract investment from all sources. UP diaspora in foreign countries is also on the radar.

Even the previous Akhilesh Yadav government had also acknowledged the importance of the UP NRI community for branding building and investment. He had also stated ‘UP Pravasi Diwas’ along the lines of ‘Bharatiya Pravasi Diwas’ and created a dedicated NRI department to engage with state NRIs.

UP minister of state for NRI affairs Swati Singh has said UP offered large untapped investment potential to the NRIs, especially in food processing, dairy and tourism sectors even as she has rolled out the red carpet for the NRIs.

Recently, she also chaired a review meeting to take stock of the various steps being taken to engage with the NRIs and attract investment. Singh underlined UP offered a panorama of historical and cultural tourist spots, which could be promoted to not only attract NRIs for tourism but encourage them to invest in their home state.

Ranjana Sarin, who has been closely associated with the NRI affairs in India, suggested the UP minister that the Yogi government should espouse the ‘Sister Town’ concept to collaborate with its diaspora scattered across the globe and seek their active cooperation towards the socio-economic development of the state.

Meanwhile, the minister has sought a detailed proposal in this regard, so that it could be given a formal status.

On January 4, 2016, Akhilesh Yadav had inaugurated the maiden ‘UP Pravasi Diwas’ at Agra to woo industrialists and investors. It was organised in consort with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). About 200 UP origin diaspora had participated in the three-day extravaganza.

The event was aimed at not only networking with the UP diaspora for investment, collaboration and cooperation; it was also an exercise to promote ‘Brand UP’ amongst industrialists and investors globally.

The mega exposition had also comprised mega infrastructure projects viz. Lucknow-Agra Expressway, Lucknow Metro, metro projects in NOIDA and Greater NOIDA, Trans-Ganga City at Kanpur, Hi-tech Township in Allahabad, solar parks in Jalaun and other places, Lucknow IT City, integrated industrial cities of NOIDA and Greater Noida and the upcoming electronic manufacturing hubs.

The former CM had also conferred 16 NRIs of prominence with ‘UP Apravasi Bharatiya Ratna Award’ and dedicated to the public a Migrant Resource Centre, set up at UP Financial Corporation (UPFC), Lucknow.

The feted NRIs had included former Trinidad & Tobago prime minister Basdeo Panday, UK Member of the House of Lords and healthcare professional Khalid Hameed, President of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (International) Ashook Ramsaran (USA), entrepreneur, philanthropist and writer Frank F Islam (USA), singer and philanthropist Alka Bhatnagar (USA), entrepreneur Kanwal Rekhi (USA), emergency medicine specialist Krishan Kumar (USA), venture capitalist & healthcare professional Nandini Tandon (USA), material scientist Shri Nath Singh (USA),  venture capitalist, research scientist and philanthropist Talat F Hasan (USA) etc.