'Viksit Bharat' Not Possible Without 'Viksit UP': World Bank Chief Ajay Banga

Banga visited Uttar Pradesh’s capital on Friday as part of a one-day tour aimed at strengthening ties with the state government and exploring developmental opportunities

Banga met with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow

Source : ANI

'Viksit Bharat' cannot happen without 'Viksit UP', said World Bank President Ajay Banga."The Chief Minister's leadership has transformed the perception, as you said, it starts from the determination to create the right environment, law and order, safety, business regulations, and infrastructure," he added.

"You have a leadership that is focused on delivering on all the things that people care about and it requires determination... Your state is uniquely positioned, you have leadership, vision, focus, determination. AI is one tool; we are celebrating it. But the real tool is leadership and I want to congratulate you and I want you to know we will help as much as we can," the World Bank president added.

Banga visited Uttar Pradesh’s capital on Friday as part of a one-day tour aimed at strengthening ties with the state government and exploring developmental opportunities. The high-level visit included several meetings and field visits in both Lucknow and the adjoining Barabanki district.

Banga met with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, where discussions reportedly focused on the state’s ambitious economic roadmap and its aspirations to become a USD 1 trillion economy. The Uttar Pradesh government, in an official statement, highlighted its vision under CM Adityanath’s leadership, noting that the state has become a symbol of dynamic growth, good governance, and law and order.

"Uttar Pradesh has established itself as the growth engine of the country," the government statement noted, adding that the interest of global institutions, including the World Bank, continues to rise as they seek to collaborate in the state’s developmental journey.

Ajay Banga Vist

Banga's itinerary included visits to key community development initiatives supported by local and international partners. In Chinhat Block of Lucknow, he visited a Take Home Ration (THR) production facility, a project aimed at improving nutritional outcomes among women and children. Later, he traveled to Rajauli in Barabanki, where he interacted with women beekeepers, gaining insights into grassroots-level economic empowerment initiatives. His visit is scheduled to conclude with a formal program in the evening before departing for Delhi.

This visit follows Banga's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. Sources familiar with the conversation indicated that key national priorities such as infrastructure development and agricultural modernization were among the central themes discussed, as per an ANI report.