Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating over 14,000 projects with a combined value of ₹10 lakh crore during the fourth ground-breaking ceremony of the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2024, held on Monday (February 19) in an indirect jibe at opposition said that seven-eight years back people wouldn't have thought that such an atmosphere of investment and development can come from the state.
"There used to be news of crime, riots, and snatching. At that time, if someone said that UP would be developed, perhaps nobody would have been ready even to hear that. Today, lakhs and crores of rupees of investment are coming into the state," the Prime Minister said.
The projects span various sectors, including manufacturing, renewable energy, IT and ITeS, food processing, housing and real estate, hospitality, entertainment, and education.
The Prime Minister also discussed the country's positive outlook and economic growth around the world, saying, "I am not assessing today's event solely in terms of investment." The hope for higher returns that I see among all investors has a broad context. Today, you can go anywhere in the world and see unprecedented positivity about India.
"I returned about 4-5 days ago after visiting the UAE and Qatar. Every country has confidence in India's growth story. 'Modi ki guarantee' is widely discussed in the country. But the entire world considers India 'the guarantee of better returns'," he stated.
PM Modi further said, "We have often seen that when elections approach, people try to avoid new investments. But India has broken this perception today. Investors across the world trust the stability of government policies. This trust is reflected in Lucknow too".
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for the Shri Kalki Dham Temple in Sambhal district during his visit.
The temple, overseen by the Shri Kalki Dham Nirman Trust chaired by Acharya Pramod Krishnam, has recently been in the spotlight after Krishnam's expulsion from the Congress for "anti-party remarks".
Key highlights of the projects launched include approximately 300 proposals from the MSME and exports promotion department, amounting to an investment of around ₹45,000 crore. Additionally, the IT and electronics department introduced nearly 60 proposals with a total investment of ₹62,000 crore. The housing department also contributed significantly, with around 750 projects involving an investment of about ₹57,000 crore, and the excise department presented nearly 40 projects with an investment worth approximately ₹7,500 crore.
Notable among the major projects is the establishment of Ashok Leyland's electric vehicle manufacturing unit on the premises of the now-closed Scooters India Limited (SIL) in Lucknow.
Furthermore, PM Modi unveiled projects amounting to ₹10,155.79 crores for Ayodhya, ₹13,486.63 crores for Mathura, and ₹15,313.81 crores for Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency. Prime Minister Modi is slated to visit Varanasi on February 24-25, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath overseeing preparations for the visit. During his inspection, Adityanath visited the new ₹475-crore Amul plant spread over 30 acres, held discussions with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) representatives and legislators at the Circuit House, and assessed other developmental projects in the city.