UP's arid Bundelkhand turns investment hub with projects worth Rs 8,000 cr

The arid Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh is inching up the investment ladder with industrial projects worth Rs 8,000 crore attaining commercial production this year.

In February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi — at the fourth edition of the Ground Breaking Ceremony (GBC 4.0) in Lucknow — launched projects totalling Rs 69,000 crore for Bundelkhand.

Most of these projects pertained to private sector investment spanning different sectors, including manufacturing, infrastructure, housing and energy, among others.

“Within five months of the GBC 4.0, Bundelkhand witnessed commercial production of projects worth Rs 8,000 crore, thus creating jobs for thousands of youth,” a senior UP government official said.

The Bundelkhand region in UP comprises seven districts — Chitrakoot, Banda, Jhansi, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Mahoba and Lalitpur.

The region has always been associated with sparse rainfall, dismal infrastructure and government apathy. These resulted in large scale migration of youth to other regions and states for employment.

However, after the Yogi Adityanath government came to power in 2017, the region witnessed a renewed focus. It led to improvement in infrastructure and Bundelkhand was pitched as an investment and industrial hub.

While the 296 km-Bundelkhand Expressway, which cost Rs 15,000 crore, is now operational, the Yogi government 2.0 has constituted a Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority (Bida). It is on the lines of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (Noida).

Interestingly, Jhansi and Chitrakoot are also part of the mega UP Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC).

In the first phase, Bida encompasses acquisition of 35,000 acres spanning 33 revenue villages in Jhansi.

While industrial development is at the core of Bida, it will also feed the state’s ambitious trillion-dollar economy target.

According to ‘Invest UP’, the state agency responsible for monitoring and promoting investment, more than 150 projects worth Rs 8,000 crore have been commissioned in Bundelkhand.

Also, work is progressing on the remaining chunk of the total Rs 69,000 crore worth of projects.