The echo of Uttar Pradesh's development is now being heard not only across the country but throughout the world: Piyush Goyal

Greater Noida, Sept. 27 -- Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, while addressing the Fourth International Trade Show held at India Expo Mart, said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh has embarked on a new journey of development. He stated, "Today, the state's positive mindset, the confidence of its entrepreneurs, and its commitment to development have become its new identity. The echo of Uttar Pradesh's development is now being heard not only across the country but throughout the world."

Piyush Goyal, who attended the special business session 'Leveraging India's Free Trade Agreements for Global Business Growth' as the Chief Guest on the third day of UPITS, said that this event, which commenced on the occasion of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's birth anniversary, would continue to grow bigger and more impactful in the coming years.

The Union Minister remarked, "The entire world will look upon Uttar Pradesh's development journey as an example. The expressways built in the state, new airports, large industrial parks, and investments in modern sectors such as defence, semiconductors, and electronics present the picture of a changing Uttar Pradesh."

Piyush Goyal stated, "The rapidly developing robotics factory near Noida is an example of how Uttar Pradesh is now establishing a strong identity even in modern and emerging sectors. The next phase of the state's development is now being linked with international trade, exports, foreign investment, and tourism. Local brands and products of Uttar Pradesh are establishing their identity in markets across the world."

He added, "The target of increasing Uttar Pradesh's exports to Rs 5 lakh crore by 2030 reflects the state's growing confidence and economic potential. Better coordination between the Central and State Governments is creating new opportunities for development in the state."

The Union Minister called upon those associated with trade and industry to recognize these opportunities and contribute with full energy to advancing Uttar Pradesh's development journey.

Sharing his experiences from 2017, the Union Minister pointed out, "At that time there was concern among people regarding law and order and the business environment in Uttar Pradesh. Entrepreneurs lacked adequate confidence, and there was little enthusiasm for setting up large new industries in the state. Even major industrial centres of the country were not looking towards Uttar Pradesh for investment, while the prospect of international investment was even more distant."

He stated, "Due to issues related to corruption and law and order, there was an atmosphere of disappointment not only among the general public but also within the trade and industrial sectors. Discussions about large-scale migration were common, and Uttar Pradesh was viewed among the backward states. In such an environment, it was difficult to imagine investments in modern sectors such as robotics, the Defence Corridor, and semiconductors."

Referring to the process of preparing the BJP's Sankalp Patra during the 2017 Assembly elections, Piyush Goyal remarked, "Party workers had gone village to village and door to door across the state to gather suggestions from people. Youth, women, and various sections of society shared their aspirations and expectations. These suggestions were compiled to prepare the Sankalp Patra."

He continued, "The public aspirations expressed at that time were extensive and required significant financial resources to fulfill. Uttar Pradesh's budget was limited, and there was pressure on financial resources. After meeting regular obligations, including salaries of government employees, limited resources remained for development works. Despite this, it was estimated that a substantial additional amount would be required every year to meet public expectations."

Piyush Goyal stated that under the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh has made remarkable progress not only in development but also in revenue collection. He noted, "Due to government policies and improved administration, revenue from various sources has increased manifold and is being utilized for the state's development."

Giving the example of excise revenue, he said, "Compared to 2016-17, the state's excise revenue has increased by nearly five times at present. This increase is not limited to a single sector; improvements have occurred across various revenue sources of the state."

He asserted, "The land remains the same, but there has been a significant change in revenue generated from land transfers, registration fees, and stamp duty."

Referring to the mining sector, the Union Minister noted that in 2016-17, Uttar Pradesh's mining revenue from sand, morang, stone, and other minerals stood at approximately Rs 1,548 crore. Today, revenue generated from this sector has increased manifold.

He stated, "This transformation in revenue collection reflects better governance and effective utilization of resources. The impact of increased revenue is clearly visible in the state's development journey. Due to improved revenue collection, the government now has greater resources available for roads, expressways, airports, industrial development, and other development and public welfare works."

Piyush Goyal highlighted, "While the state previously faced financial pressure and revenue deficits, today the Uttar Pradesh Government is in a position to present a surplus budget. This is also important in reducing the burden of unnecessary debt on present and future generations."

The Union Minister stated that the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show is not merely a trade fair but an important platform connecting the state's trade and industry with global markets. Through it, entrepreneurs from the state are receiving new opportunities to access global markets and benefit from the Free Trade Agreements signed by India.

He said, "Trade agreements are opening markets across the world for Indian products. Entrepreneurs from Uttar Pradesh can utilize these opportunities to take their products, services, and local specialties to global markets."

Piyush Goyal added, "Today, Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a major investment destination. Due to better industrial policies and an investment-friendly environment, large companies are being attracted to the state. Investors and business delegations from various sectors are continuously visiting Uttar Pradesh, creating new opportunities for investment and employment."

He further remarked, "The youth of the state are developing skills and expertise in line with the needs of industry. Uttar Pradesh is continuously hosting international-level events and trade exhibitions, providing entrepreneurs with opportunities to connect directly with global markets."

The Union Minister urged entrepreneurs to enhance quality, innovation, and competitiveness in line with the demands of global markets. He said, "Many markets across the world have opened up for India through Free Trade Agreements, and the talented entrepreneurs of Uttar Pradesh should take full advantage of these opportunities."

On this occasion, the state's Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Bhupendra Chaudhary, Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, Minister of State for MSME Hansraj Vishwakarma, Principal Secretary MSME Shashi Bhushan Lal Sushil, Industries Commissioner K. Vijayendra Pandian, and Special Secretary MSME Shishir were present.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.