UP govt consultancy's order book doubles on rapid infra growth

Uttar Pradesh Industrial Consultants Ltd (UPICO) today said its order book position has more than doubled to Rs 10 crore this year on the back of rapid infrastructure growth in the country's most populous state.
The consultancy agency is a UP Government undertaking promoted by Small Industries Bank of India (SIDBI), Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI), UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) and banks.
"Our order book stands at about Rs 10 crore this year compared with Rs 4 crore last year. The topline is at Rs 40 crore and we hope to remain profitable this year," UPICO Managing Director Pravin Singh told PTI here.

He said the Akhilesh Yadav government has signed pacts worth Rs 3,00,000 crore in sectors like solar, agriculture and infrastructure urban development (metro) in four cities.
Infrastructure had been growing rapidly in UP and every 200 km, one could find a new urban centre coming up, which presented enormous growth opportunities, Singh said.
The compounded annual growth rate of UP in the last three years has been higher than the national growth rate. Technology and skilling are two major areas we would like to focus on to further accelerate expansion of the State's economy, the official said.

UPSIDC is developing a plastic park in Dibiyapur industrial area in Auraiyya district, which is expected to be ready by next fiscal. To take advantage of 100 per cent FDI, it is setting up food parks at Varanasi, he added.

UPICO was set up in 1974 with an objective to provide comprehensive consultancy services to the prospective entrepreneurs belonging to small and medium sector. SIDBI holds 49 per cent stake and IFCI 12 per cent in the company.
The consultancy services from UPICO cover socioeconomic surveys, industrial surveys, evaluation of schemes of the Centre and state government.
They also cover project identification, technology transfer, preparation of project reports, assessment of market demand, revival and modernisation of sick industrial units, infrastructure and area development studies, management and organisational studies, among other tasks.