The Uttar Pradesh government is completing seven years under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Shedding its previous ‘BIMARU’ label, the state has transformed into a symbol of swift progress nationwide.

Playing a crucial role, Uttar Pradesh is at the forefront of realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India.

Over the past seven years, Uttar Pradesh has witnessed transformative changes not just in law enforcement, but also across various sectors including infrastructure, transportation, women’s empowerment, job creation, investment, and welfare schemes. With its steadfast momentum, Uttar Pradesh inches closer to claiming the top spot in the nation’s economy, while also making significant strides towards self-reliance.

With investment projects worth over Rs 10 lakh crore launched during the fourth groundbreaking ceremony (GBC@IV) recently, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a favourite destination for industrialists and entrepreneurs from across the country. When considering the collective investments from all four groundbreaking ceremonies held in the state, this sum totals approximately Rs 16 lakh crore. This substantial influx of investment has not only fueled Uttar Pradesh’s economic growth but has also generated extensive employment opportunities. The GBC@IV alone is expected to create over 34 lakh job opportunities.

It is noteworthy that Uttar Pradesh has transitioned from being a ‘BIMARU’ state to coming close to becoming an ‘industrial state’. Uttar Pradesh, with seven cities with a population of more than 10 lakh and five cities with a population of more than five lakh, has 56 per cent of its population working. The state not only has a population of 250 million, but also has a huge consumer base, with around 425 million people residing in neighboring states. The massive consumer market offered by UP is a major attraction for investors.

The state, which was once known for roads full of potholes before 2017, has now become a state with the most operational expressways in the country. Currently, there are six operational expressways in the state, with seven more in various stages of construction. Among them, the Ganga Expressway, which is approximately 600 kilometres long, is set to be completed by the end of this year.

Uttar Pradesh will soon become the first state in the country to have five operational international airports. Presently, the state boasts 15 fully functional domestic airports, including Agra, Trishul (Bareilly), Gorakhpur, Hindon (Ghaziabad), Prayagraj, Kanpur, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Moradabad, Shravasti and Chitrakoot. Additionally, the international airports in Lucknow, Varanasi, Kushinagar, and Ayodhya are operational.

Moreover, Asia’s largest international airport in Jewar, Noida, is ready and preparations are underway to make it operational soon. Besides, the domestic airports in Saharanpur, Sonbhadra, Lalitpur, Meerut, and Palia are in different phases of construction.

Uttar Pradesh is rapidly advancing towards its goal of achieving a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2027. This progress is attributable to governance policies centered around faith, welfare and economic growth, reflected in the consistent expansion of the state’s budget in tandem with developmental strides. Illustratively, the state’s budget, which stood at Rs 3.46 lakh crore in 2016-17, has now more than doubled to Rs 7.36 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25.

In the words of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Budget 2024-25 represents the prime minister’s vision of making Uttar Pradesh the growth engine of the country and a one-trillion-dollar economy.

When it comes to Uttar Pradesh’s Gross Domestic State Product (GSDP), it was Rs 12.75 lakh crore in 2016-17 and rose to Rs 25 lakh crore in 2024-25. With this, Uttar Pradesh has become the second-largest economy in the country. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019-20, the state has continued to progress at a steady economic growth rate of 14 per cent. The government'’ emphasis on development through capital expenditure in both social and economic sectors has played a significant role in this progress.

Over the past seven years, the Yogi government, following a zero-tolerance policy against mafias and criminals, has strengthened the law and order situation in the state. More than 194 criminals have died in encounters with the police in the last seven years. Moreover, through effective prosecution in courts, over 24,743 criminals have been convicted. Over 71,600 criminals have been sent to jail under the Gangster Act, and movable and immovable properties worth more than Rs 1,24,04,18,52, 000 has been confiscated.

Action has been taken against 68 mafia and their gang members and associates at the state level while property worth over Rs 3,758 crore has been confiscated. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Uttar Pradesh is the leading state in the country in punishing criminals involved in crimes against women.

The biggest emphasis of the state government is on shaping the future of the youth. In the last seven years, the state government has set a record by giving government jobs to more than seven lakh youth. Apart from this, more than one crore employment opportunities have also been created by connecting the youth with the private sector and self-employment.

The state government has also started the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan in this year’s budget, under which a loan of up to Rs 5 lakh without interest will be provided to 10 lakh youth in the next 10 years to help them establish startups.

Integrated Command and Control Centre and Intelligent Traffic Management System are operational in 10 smart cities in the state at a cost of about Rs 2,000 crore. In the ranking of smart cities, Agra and Varanasi have continuously featured among the top 10 cities of the country.

On the lines of the Smart City Mission Plan of the Central government, Uttar Pradesh has taken an innovative initiative to develop other seven municipal corporations of the state (Ayodhya, Firozabad, Gorakhpur, Ghaziabad, Mathura-Vrindavan, Meerut and Shahjahanpur) as State Smart Cities.