Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Uttar Pradesh Investors Summit on Wednesday, 21 February, in Lucknow. The two-day Summit is aimed at showcasing the investment potential of the state to industry captains from India and abroad.

Showering praises on the ruling Yogi Adityanath government in the state, the PM drew attention to the increased sense of security in the environment for businesses.

“How can industries carry out their plans in an environment of fear, negativity and insecurity? I congratulate the Yogi government for showing a ray of hope by removing that negativity,” the PM said at the event.

“I congratulate the people of UP, the bureaucracy, the police and the Yogi government for taking the state on the path of development and progress in a few months,” the PM said.

He hailed the policies undertaken by the CM Adityanath for the growth of the economy of Uttar Pradesh in the presence of Governor Ram Naik, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and former PM of Mauritius Anerood Jugnauth among a host of business leaders including Mukesh Ambani and Anand Mahindra.

“Uttar Pradesh has so much diversity in resources and potential that it has a history of its own,” the PM said highlighting the unique products, items, traditions and unique culture for which the various cities of the state are known for.

“If this state has Taj Mahal and Sarnatah then it also has Kashi and Ayodhya; if it has IIT-K and IIM then it also has BHU,”

Referring to UP’s ranking in the production of various crops and products such as wheat, sugarcane, milk potatoes, vegetables and fruits, the PM said that the state has the potential of becoming the “growth engine” of the country.

Calling for the need for value-addition to the “values and virtues” of the state, PM Modi said that the Yogi government is making plans and taking decisions keeping this in mind.

“There will be red carpet, not red tape for entrepreneurs in Uttar Pradesh,” the PM said.

The PM expressed his confidence that the state government’s policies coupled with the policies and decisions taken by the Centre will take India’s most populous state to economic heights.

“Potential + Policy + Planning + Performance = Progress. I am confident that Yogi’s team is ready for a superhit performance,” he said.

The PM also praised the efforts of the people of the state and said that the Yogi government is taking the promises it made to farmers, women and youth seriously.

At Lucknow, the PM also visited an exhibition showcasing the initiatives taken by the state and the technological advancements.