Lucknow, Aug 19 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said the state has shed its earlier image and emerged as a destination with “unlimited potential”, particularly in tourism, hospitality, infrastructure and investment.
He called for an ambitious approach to development and investment in UP. “If something has to be done, it should be the best. Those who think about Uttar Pradesh should ‘Think Big, Think UP’ — think big, think like Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Taj Palace Hotel here, Adityanath said UP is not an ordinary piece of land but the “heartland of India”, with the spiritual and cultural heritage of the country deeply rooted in the state.
“Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state of India… and the common perception about Uttar Pradesh is that if the soul of India resides anywhere, it resides in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
The chief minister said that for years, the state had failed to recognise and project its own identity, resulting in an “identity crisis”.
“Ayodhya is in UP, Mathura-Vrindavan is in Uttar Pradesh, Kashi is in Uttar Pradesh and Prayagraj is in UP, the state’s Buddhist and Jain heritage is here.
“The state is associated with the birth, enlightenment and Mahaparinirvana of Lord Buddha and is also home to a large number of Jain pilgrimage sites,” he said, adding that UP is not an ordinary land.
“It is the heartland of India. The soul of India resides in this state,” he said.
Referring to tourism, Adityanath said that when his government came to power in 2017, UP ranked third in the country in terms of tourism, but has witnessed a dramatic increase in tourist footfall since then.
He claimed that in 2025 alone, around 156 crore tourists visited different destinations in the state, including Prayagraj, Kashi, Ayodhya, Mathura and Vrindavan.
The chief minister said the state’s transformation had also changed perceptions about UP.
Adityanath said the government had focused on developing tourism by combining the state’s cultural and spiritual heritage with modern infrastructure and development.
The chief minister also referred to the recognition accorded to Lucknow by UNESCO.
He said this required not only infrastructure but also a secure environment and a sense of participation among the people.
Adityanath also highlighted Uttar Pradesh-Japan Investment Meet in New Delhi, saying more than 200 foreign investors, industry leaders and CEOs from Japan participated in the event.
“For the first time in India, a state has succeeded in bringing together more than 200 foreign investors, industry leaders and industry CEOs, and that too from a country like Japan, which has established a global identity for its technology and research,” he said.
He said Japanese investors had shown interest in sectors including green hydrogen energy, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics and automobiles.
“People often consider a hotel, hospital or institution to be an investment by an individual. We are not prepared to look at it that way. It affects the entire ecosystem,” he said.
Adityanath said the newly inaugurated Taj Palace would provide direct employment to around 600 people, besides generating indirect employment through its supply chain.
The chief minister said UP had undergone major infrastructure development, citing the expansion of its airport network, expressways and public transport.
He said the state now had 17 domestic airports and five international airports, while it accounted for about 60 per cent of the country’s expressway network.
“Uttar Pradesh is operating Metro services in the largest number of cities in the country,” he said, adding that the country’s first Rapid Rail service and first inland waterway had also begun in the state.
He also cited the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, saying exports worth around Rs 2 lakh crore were being generated through the programme.
The chief minister said the state’s broader objective was to establish UP as a one-trillion-dollar economy.
He added that when India celebrates the centenary of its Independence, a developed UP would be an essential component of a developed India, and world-class hospitality infrastructure would play an important role in achieving that objective.
Adityanath said Lucknow’s journey from being among the bottom three to the top three reflected the transformation that had taken place in the state over the past nine years.
The chief minister said the Taj Palace project in Lucknow had associated itself with the state’s “Think Big, Think UP” vision. PTI ABN KSS KSS
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