BS Samriddhi: Infrastructure being set up for various sectors, say experts

Consistent policy reforms are helping industries, say experts

Nearly nine years of government initiatives have transformed Uttar Pradesh’s industrial landscape, delivering visible high growth and a consistently stable investment climate, experts said in Lucknow.

 

Participating in a panel discussion on “Possibilities for New Industrial Zones and MSME Sector” in Uttar Pradesh at the Business Standard Samriddhi event in Lucknow, Mukesh Meshram, Chief Secretary of the state’s animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries department, said the state has developed 2,000 new tourist spots. Separately, 12 tourism circuits are being developed.

 

Meshram, an officer from the 1995 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) who previously held the role of principal secretary for the state’s Tourism and Culture Department, noted that while Varanasi, Prayagraj and Ayodhya are renowned as major religious destinations, other sites like Naimisharanya possess a deep historical significance that is often less recognised. “We have established essential infrastructure at these spiritual locations, which includes installing proper sanitation facilities and enhancing the road networks leading to them,” he explained. The state has curated a dedicated Buddhist circuit designed to attract international visitors, particularly from the 39 nations where Buddhism is a predominant faith, as well as a Jain circuit, highlighting that Uttar Pradesh serves as the sacred birthplace for 18 of the 24 Jain Tirthankaras.

 

Meshram said that Uttar Pradesh has established its first Eco-tourism Board and is encouraging the growth of agri-rural tourism. The state government is currently showcasing the region’s cultural heritage, diverse culinary traditions and historic handicrafts. “Regarding our food, every single district in Uttar Pradesh is celebrated for its own unique local specialities. We worked hard to ensure that UNESCO included Lucknow in its Creative Cities Network (UCCN), a goal which has now been successfully realised. In fact, only two cities across India, Hyderabad and Lucknow, have earned a place on this prestigious list for their excellence in cuisine and gastronomy,” Meshram explained. Lucknow officially joined the UCCN registry in 2023. Consequently, following these dedicated government initiatives, Uttar Pradesh now leads the entire nation with 650 million domestic tourist arrivals and has progressed from fifth to fourth place for international visitor numbers, a figure expected to rise even further.

 

Discussing the initiatives within the animal husbandry sector, Meshram stated that Uttar Pradesh remains the leading state in the nation for milk production, yielding 38.78 million tonnes with a marketable surplus of 19.35 million tonnes. Nevertheless, at this time, the state only processes approximately 17 to 19 per cent of its total milk output. “We have introduced a formal policy and are actively taking measures to incentivise the establishment of processing plants, while also facilitating the creation of a ‘milk producing committee’ in every village,” Meshram said, noting that another priority is ensuring the most effective use of various dairy industry by-products. Consequently, the state government is currently setting up new milk processing and chilling facilities across rural regions to increase this processing proportion to as much as 50 per cent over the coming years.

 

Meshram noted that work is currently underway to preserve indigenous breeds of cows and other milch animals to ensure that milk production continues to increase. Regarding the poultry sector, he explained that while Uttar Pradesh consumes approximately 35 million eggs annually, only about 20 million of these are produced within the state, with the remainder being sourced from elsewhere in India. “Our objective is to decrease this reliance on other states for our egg supply.” In the fisheries sector, Uttar Pradesh now ranks as the third-largest producer in the country, following Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. This industry is experiencing an annual growth rate of roughly 23 to 24 per cent, which is among the fastest in the nation. To support this, the state government is implementing measures to enhance local water bodies and encourage aquaculture. “The time is approaching when Uttar Pradesh will not only be self-reliant in fisheries but will also begin exporting its surplus, and we are also exploring the establishment of local processing facilities,” he added.

 

Pankaj Kumar, chief general manager of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), observed that credit growth within the state has experienced an extraordinary increase over the past few years. He explained that Nabard is currently concentrating its efforts on supporting the construction of rural road networks in partnership with the state government. Within the MSME sector, the organisation is prioritising the development of industrial clusters while also fostering the creation of Farmer Producer Organisations and Off-Farm Producer Organisations to provide vital support to micro-enterprises.

 

Mohit Tulsi Singh Rajput, chief executive officer (CEO) of Avalanche Refineries, observed that Varanasi has emerged as a significant hub for the creation of new industrial zones, witnessing extensive growth recently. He remarked that, as an investor based outside of Uttar Pradesh, he is impressed by the scale of transformation the state has undergone over the past eight years or more. “I visit the state regularly for my professional commitments, and the level of expansion currently taking place within the hospitality sector in and around Varanasi is quite remarkable,” Rajput said. He further expressed his belief that the time is fast approaching when Uttar Pradesh will overtake all other states in terms of its overall developmental progress.

 

Rajat Verma, founder and CEO of Lohum Cleantech, a pioneer in sustainable critical minerals and one of the largest manufacturers of materials for the green energy transition in India, remarked that regarding the supply of essential minerals, the time is fast approaching when Uttar Pradesh will emerge as a dominant producer.