'Gunda Raj' is Over, Said CM Yogi Once. Rest is History as Films, Malls, Trade is 'Uttam' Pradesh's New Story

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is holding roadshows in Mumbai on January 4 and 5 to attract domestic investors ahead of the Global Investors Summit. According to the state government, the roadshows, which are scheduled to take place in nine major cities across the country from January 5 to January 27, will begin in Mumbai, where Chief Minister Yogi will participate in a number of events aimed at attracting domestic investors on January 4 and 5.

The Chief Minister will present a picture of the emerging Uttar Pradesh at these events. He will also meet with representatives of the country’s major industrial groups and invite them to invest in UP.

CM Yogi’s UP Pitch to India and the World

UP, Where Job Opportunities for Locals are Abundant: CM Yogi flew from Lucknow to Mumbai on January 4 (Wednesday), where he met with migrants from Uttar Pradesh who are currently living in Maharashtra in the evening and inform them about the opportunities in the new Uttar Pradesh.

A Dreamy Film City in Tow: CM Yogi will also meet with actors and producers to discuss the potential of the Uttar Pradesh Film City, which is currently under construction. CM Yogi will also inform them about the upcoming Global Investors Summit in February.

The Place for Foreign Investment: The UP CM will also discuss how UP has become a more desirable location for foreign investment in the country, as well as how investors from all over the world are eager to invest in UP.

Meeting With Bankers Too: CM Yogi’s tour will begin on January 5 (Thursday) with meetings with bankers and people associated with the fintech sector. Following this, he will participate in the Mumbai roadshow.

A Shift from UP’s ‘Negative Perception’

If one looks at pop culture’s representation of Uttar Pradesh, their search will be replete with shows around gangster violence, lawlessness and more. The BJP government, it says, is attempting to change this perception and situation, especially with on the ground work.

The BJP has often reiterated how it has helped Uttar Pradesh overcome its “negative perception” during the previous regime and achieve a “respectable identity” in the country.

In 2021, CM Yogi had said the BJP government was experiencing “pro-incumbency” as a result of its all-around development work and zero tolerance for crime. The state made every effort to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated assertion that Uttar Pradesh has the potential to become the country’s growth engine a reality by implementing infrastructure, connectivity, and social welfare measures, he said in an interview with DD news at the time.

“The perception of Uttar Pradesh had been harmed during the previous Congress, BSP, and SP regimes, which our government has transformed to assist the state in achieving a respectable identity in the country,” the CM claimed.

Adityanath on Wednesday also said residents of the northern state are now proud of their “UP identity” and flaunt it wherever they go in the country and abroad, which was not the case five years ago.

Adityanath is on a two-day visit to Mumbai for a roadshow and interaction with representatives from industries and Bollywood ahead of the Global Investors Summit (GIS-23) scheduled next month in Lucknow.

“Five years ago, people of Uttar Pradesh would not disclose their identity and the name of their native state wherever they went in India or abroad. But now they flaunt their Uttar Pradesh identity with pride,” Adityanath said while addressing a gathering of migrants from UP settled in Mumbai.

But a Political Fest Also Follows

Criticising the summit, SP leader and opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe on the upcoming Global Investors Summit in Lucknow on Wednesday by calling it a “mere betrayal.”

“The UP government should tell how much was implemented on the ground from previous summits. Such summits are a mere betrayal. First, they send their ministers abroad, then they themselves visit other cities, what’s their industrial policy for investment. He also stressed on “India needs more smart cities, to cope with the problem of increasing population of cities. The Government has to provide equal facilities to rural people and generate employment opportunities so that they do not have to migrate to the cities,” he said, according to a report by Statesman.

However, First Let’s Take a Look at What the GIS-23 Really Is

According to the UP government, the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit (UPGIS) 2023, scheduled from 10-12 February 2023 at Lucknow, is the flagship Investment Summit of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. The 3-day long Investors Summit will bring together policy makers, corporate leaders, business delegations, academia, think-tanks and Political and Government leadership from across the globe, to collectively explore business opportunities and forge partnerships, it said in a release.

“UPGIS 2023 is an initiative aligned to the vision of PM Modi, of making the country a $5 Trillion economy, towards which the Government of Uttar Pradesh has set an aspiration target of making the State a $1 Trillion economy in next 5 years,” it says.

Bringing UP Business

Even ahead of the Global Investors Summit, the Uttar Pradesh government has signed initial pacts worth Rs 19,265 crore with firms in the US and Canada.

A the team under the leadership of Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana and Animal Husbandry Minister Dharampal Singh showcased the state before investors in the US and Canada and held about 51 government-to-government (G2G) and business-to-business (B2B) meetings in the span of three days.

As many as 27 letters of intent worth more than Rs 41,000 crores were received, out of which eight proposals were converted into memorandum of understanding (MoU), a release said. Of these MoUs, 4 strategic partnerships were signed. The MoUs on the remaining 19 proposals are expected to be signed before GIS-23, it added.

The maximum investment in the MoUs signed so far is going to be in the Logistics, Defence and Aerospace sectors.

Mobility Infrastructure Group will invest Rs 8,200 crore in this sector within the state. With this, about 100 employment opportunities will be generated in the state. At the same time, QSTC Inc will invest Rs 8,200 crore in defence and aerospace. This will create about 200 employment opportunities.

MoUs totalling Rs 2,055 crore were signed between the state government and health care sector companies.

Under this, My Health Center and ZMQ Companies will invest Rs 2,050 crore and Rs 5 crore respectively. This will create about 500 and 60 employment opportunities. On the other hand, Dezero Labs Inc company will invest Rs 10 crore in medical devices. This will create about 75 job opportunities.

MoUs were also signed during the visit for investment in consumer durables, hospitality and electronic manufacturing sectors.

Akuwa Technology will invest Rs 100 crore in these sectors, providing 25 jobs.

Opulence Management Corp will invest Rs 500 crore in the hospitality sector, creating as many as 300 employment opportunities whereas Virtubox has signed an MoU for investment in the electronic manufacturing sector. It will invest Rs 200 crore, creating about 150 job opportunities.

And a Filmy Start!

And BJP is also keen to project UP as a destination for film-related investments and shooting. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar on Wednesday also met Adityanath in Mumbai and discussed the upcoming film city in the northern state.

Kumar urged Adityanath to watch his latest film “Ram Setu” and said the Hindi film industry was keenly awaiting the (opening of) film city which the Uttar Pradesh government is developing as it will provide a new alternative, the statement said. The chief minister noted that films play an important role in creating social awareness and promoting social and national causes, it said.

Filmmakers should give importance to the issues of social and national consciousness while selecting subjects, Adityanath added.

His government will soon unveil a new film policy with single window clearance system, Adityanath said. The film city of Uttar Pradesh will be of global standards, he said. Adityanath also invited Akshay Kumar to visit Uttar Pradesh, the statement said.

With inputs from PTI

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