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Tag: uttar pradesh

  • BJP, Nishad Party and Apna Dal finalize seat sharing formula

    BJP, Nishad Party and Apna Dal finalize seat sharing formula

    It is learnt that Nishad party will contest about 15 to 18 seats and Apna Dal will contest 10 to 14 seats….reports Asian Lite News

    Seat sharing formula between BJP and its alliance partners, Nishad Party and Apna Dal has been finalized. Both the Apna Dal and Nishad party are likely to contest a dozen seats each.

    Sources said that the formula for seat sharing was decided after a meeting of leaders of both the alliance partners with union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday night. “Last night, Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad, union minister and Apna Dal chief Anupriya Patel separately met Shah and discussed the formula for seats sharing. In the meeting the seat sharing formula was finalized,” sources said.

    It is learnt that Nishad party will contest about 15 to 18 seats and Apna Dal will contest 10 to 14 seats. “Couple of candidates of both the parties may contest on the BJP symbol,” sources said.

    The BJP’s Central Election Committee (CEC), meanwhile, met on Thursday to finalise candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Sources said that names of 172 candidates have been finalised where polling will be held in the first three of the seven-phased polls.

    For the first time, the CEC meeting is being held in the hybrid form as a few of the CEC members, including party chief J.P. Nadda, Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari have tested positive of Covid infection.

    According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari virtually joined the CEC meeting. CEC member and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is also attending the meet at party headquarters.

    Union Ministers Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are among the leaders who are physically attending the meeting. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Uttar Pradesh BJP general secretary (organization) Sunil Bansal are also present in the meeting.

    The Assembly polls will be held in seven phases in February-March starting from February 10. Counting of votes will be held on March 10.

    ALSO READ: Congress gives 50 tickets to women in UP

  • Do or die battle for these leaders in Uttar Pradesh

    Do or die battle for these leaders in Uttar Pradesh

    Interestingly, most of these leaders belong to the new generation and this is the first time that they are in full command of the party they are heading, a report by Amita Verma

    The 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are more than just about forming a government.

    This is a ‘do-or-die’ battle for those leaders whose political future depends on the outcome of the elections.

    Interestingly, most of these leaders belong to the new generation and this is the first time that they are in full command of the party they are heading.

    The leader who faces the biggest challenge of his political career in this election is Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.

    Having positioned himself as the main challenger to the ruling BJP, Akhilesh has single-handedly led the campaign, stitched up alliances and even selected candidates.

    Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi

    In 2017 and 2019, leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Prof Ram Gopal Yadav had helped Akhilesh. Mulayam in 2019, had openly expressed his dissent on the alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party.

    This time, Mulayam Singh Yadav has stayed away from election-related activities though he does make an occasional appearance at the party office.

    The credit – or the blame – of the SP performance in the 2022 elections will, therefore, fall squarely on the fragile shoulders of Akhilesh Yadav. The outcome could make or mar his career, as most senior party leaders claim.

    Another leader in the same league is Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who is in total charge of the party’s state unit.

    Priyanka is finalising the poll strategy, selection of candidates and also the mood of the campaign. While she has focussed on the election strategy, she has failed to check the health of the party’s state unit which is witnessing an unprecedented exodus of leaders.

    (Picture source: Twitter@priyankagandhi)

    Her campaign for women and 40 per cent reservation for them in party tickets may have created a buzz in state politics but whether it will reap benefits for the Congress remains to be seen.

    The Congress has also been losing leader after leader to other parties and this has left the cadres rather demoralised.

    Since this is Priyanka’s first independent political outing, the result will decide her future in the Congress.

    What makes her task even more daunting is the fact that this time, Priyanka’s mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi will not be campaigning due to health issues and her brother Rahul Gandhi has also kept himself away for unexplained reasons.

    If the Congress fails to achieve the desired results in these elections, it will be Priyanka’s second failure after 2019 when she had taken charge of UP and Rahul Gandhi lost his Amethi seat.

    Her failure this time could bring out the knives and also create hurdles in her elevation to national politics.

    Jayant Chaudhary, president of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), is also facing a make-or-break battle in the UP elections.

    RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary addresses during Samvidhan Live in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS)

    This is the first time that he is independently leading his party into elections after the demise of his father Chaudhary Ajit Singh.

    Jayant has the advantage of being the sole political beneficiary of the year-long farmers’ agitation and his political handling of the election scenario could revive his party that has been languishing in the sidelines for long.

    If the RLD performs as per expectation in these elections, Jayant will be able to establish himself as the undisputed political leader of the Jats.

    These elections are extremely crucial for Mayawati, president of the Bahujan Samaj Party. The BSP is at its lowest ebb and Mayawati’s unexplained absence from the campaign has demoralised the cadres.

    If the BSP fails to get a decent number of seats, it could further isolate the party in Uttar Pradesh and put Mayawati in an uncomfortable position.

    ALSO READ: BJP begins door-to-door campaign in Uttar Pradesh

  • First phase in UP is challenge for BJP, hope for SP

    First phase in UP is challenge for BJP, hope for SP

    There is a battle for the BJP in western Uttar Pradesh, hope for the Samajwadi Party and revival for the Rashtriya Lok Dal in the region that goes to polls in the first phase on February 10…reports Asian Lite News

    The region, considered one of the most politically sensitive, surcharged and highly polarised areas, especially after the farmers’ agitation, will set the tone for elections in the remaining six phases in Uttar Pradesh.

    Elections will be held in the 94 Assembly segments in 11 districts of west Uttar Pradesh namely, Shamli, Meerut, Hapur, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Agra, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Mathura, on February 10.

    In the 2017 Assembly elections, BJP had received a decisive mandate in the region and carried that momentum further to other parts of the state.

    The BJP, in 2017, had won 66 of the 76 seats in this region. The Samajwadi Party (SP) won four, the Bahujan Samaj Party won three, the Congress won two and the Rashtriya Lok Dal could win only one.

    The scenario has changed almost completely in the past five years.

    The wounds of Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 have healed to a large extent and the Jat-Muslim hostility has diluted. The communal lines have blurred and farmer unity is now a bigger factor in the region. Religious polarization is unlikely in the region in the present scenario.

    The BJP has been trying to placate the farmers by repealing farm laws but its own leaders are queering the pitch by announcing that farm laws will be brought back after the elections.

    It has been a tough going so far for the BJP whose leaders have been facing hostile voters in the rural interiors of the region. The failure of the government to announce MSP guarantee, payment of cane dues, shortage of fertilizer and the menace of stray cattle are factors that remain major irritants for the ruling BJP. The government’s apathy towards families of farmers who died during agitation, is another major factor.

    The biggest political beneficiary of the farmers’ agitation that lasted for one year, however, is the Rashtriya Lok Dal.

    The RLD president Jayant Chaudhary has managed to regain lost ground among the Jat community to a large extent by extending active support to farmers during their agitation. Jayant has been visiting villages, attending Khap meetings and interacting closely with Jat leaders.

    The demise of Chaudhary Ajit Singh in May last year, has also brought ample sympathy for Jayant and his party is poised to make a political comeback in west UP.

    The Samajwadi Party, this time, is contesting the elections in alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal. It had allied with the Congress in 2017 but could not make much headway as Jats, then, had opted for BJP because the wounds of Muzaffarnagar riots were still fresh.

    The SP, this time, is confident of riding piggyback on RLD’s growing popularity graph.

    The partnership could give a tough fight to the BJP in many parts of western Uttar Pradesh.

    Besides, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle Shivpal Yadav will be contesting in alliance with the Samajwadi Party and this will help avoid a split in his key vote bank.

    One factor that could upset Samajwadi Party calculations in the first phase is the entry of Asaddudin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM).

    The party could play an important role in many constituencies as the Muslim population in this region amounts to around 26 per cent.

    If the AIMIM succeeds in weaning away Muslim votes — or even a section of votes — the SP-RLD alliance may not perform as well as expected.

    The first phase in western UP is also crucial for the Bahujan Samaj Party since the region was once considered as a party stronghold.

    ALSO READ: BJP to showcase law and order, Hindutva to woo voters

    This time, the emergence of Bhim Army which will be contesting as Azad Samaj Party is bound to damage the BSP which, in any case, is being questioned for Mayawati’s absence in its campaign.

    Mayawati, has, so far, restricted herself to tweets and press releases but has not stepped out of her home to campaign.

    The Congress, on the other hand, is losing leaders with an alarming frequency. Congress national secretary and one of its more popular leaders in the areas, Imran Masood, is all set to join the Samajwadi Party.

    Masood, a former MLA, has been repeatedly urging the party leadership to join hands with the SP to defeat BJP.

    Harendra Malik and Pankaj Malik of Congress have already quit the party to join the SP.

    The women card of the Congress is unlikely to work in western UP where the patriarchal system still dominates the society and women claimants in elections are few and far in between.

    One thing that is clear is that any party that takes a head start in the first phase where 94 seats — almost one-fourth of the total 403 seats — will be going to polls, will enjoy a definite advantage in the remaining six phases of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

  • BJP to showcase law and order, Hindutva to woo voters

    BJP to showcase law and order, Hindutva to woo voters

    With the announcement of polling dates for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, all major political parties have intensified their campaign, apart from taking pot-shots at one another…reports Asian Lite News

    The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident of making a comeback in the state despite the opposition parties — the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, giving the saffron party a tough fight.

    The party has been sounding confident on the issues it has taken up for the elections, as well as on the popularity of its faces in Delhi and Lucknow.

    In fact, the BJP veterans have been continuously claiming that the party will repeat its last election’s performance.

    The party which has often backed the idea of “a double engine government”, is constantly putting forth the issues and agendas related to Hindutva along with the development work. According to party sources, the BJP leaders will try to woo people on the basis of this strategy.

    Apart from listing the achievements of the public welfare work of the Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath governments, the BJP leaders will also discuss the issue of Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura, its core agenda.

    ALSO READ: BJP sets up 24-member election committee for UP

    Terming the issue of law and order as the biggest achievement of the Yogi Adityanath government, the BJP leaders are likely to be seen appealing to people to vote in favour of the party to keep the momentum going.

    The BJP has also prepared a blueprint for the digital campaign in an attempt to reach out to the voters amid restrictions imposed by the Election Commission following rise in the number of Covid cases.

    A BJP leader associated with the election campaign told IANS the party would be making an effort to woo every section of the electorate to vote in favour of the party. Hence, “the party has taken special care of the youth, women, elderly, the workers as well as the voters associated with the party over the Hindutva ideology”.

    The party will continue to focus on its core agenda of “Ayodhya-Kashi-Mathura” as well, he said.

  • BJP sets up 24-member election committee for UP

    BJP sets up 24-member election committee for UP

    Union Ministers Sanjeev Balyan and S.P. Singh Baghel and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti are also members of the BJP Uttar Pradesh election committee….reports Asian Lite News

    The BJP has formed a 24-member election committee in Uttar Pradesh, including four special invitees, to prepare for the upcoming Assembly polls.

    Uttar Pradesh BJP president Swatantradev Singh, state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma are members of the committee.

    Union Ministers Sanjeev Balyan and S.P. Singh Baghel and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti are also members of the BJP Uttar Pradesh election committee.

    Uttar Pradesh BJP in-charge Radha Mohan Singh, co-incharges Sunil Oza, Y. Satya Kumar and Sanjeev Chaurasiya are members of the election committee as special invitees.

    Party national vice presidents Baby Rani Maurya and Rekha Verma, national general secretary Arun Singh, national secretary Vinod Sonkar are also part of the election committee of Uttar Pradesh BJP.

    State general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal, and joint general secretary (organisation) Karmvir Singh are also part of the committee along with senior leaders of state and members of state cabinet.

    Son of former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and Lok Sabha member Rajveer Singh is also part of the committee.

    Elections for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls will be held in February- March this year along with Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.

    The BJP has organised ‘Jan Vishwas Yatras’, which covered all the 403 Assembly constituencies, to reachout to the people with the works of the party ruled government at the Centre and state.

    The BJP will have a community outreach plan to pacify Brahmins, who reportedly were upset with the party, will explain to the community about the government welfare schemes which benefited them. To reach out to the youth, the party is organising youth conferences in all the districts in which senior leaders and youth leaders of the party are participating.

    The saffron party also has planned several programmes to strengthen its booth management.

    Goa BJP postponed meetings

    Amid a rising spate of Covid-19 cases in Goa, the ruling BJP has altered its election campaign strategy by postponing public meetings and focussing on small gatherings and door-to-door campaigning instead, state party president Sadanand Shet Tanavade said on Thursday.

    “We have postponed some meetings that were supposed to be held across the next week. We will focus on small gatherings and door to door campaigning. Today’s two meetings have been cancelled,” Tanavade told reporters.

    “Door to door and special contact programmes will carry on as normal. Up to January 10 we had planned public meetings,” he added.

    Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in Goa in February along with four other states, namely Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

    On Wednesday, Goa logged 1,002 new cases, the first time that the single-day spike crept above the four-figure mark in months.

    ALSO READ: BJP to corner Congress over ‘lapse’ in PM’s security

  • UP soothes farmers ahead of polls

    UP soothes farmers ahead of polls

    The order divided the targeted consumers into four categories – metered, unmetered, energy efficient pumps and farmers in the urban areas receiving metered power supply….reports Asian Lite News

    The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, has announced a 50 per cent reduction in power tariff on agricultural use.

    The move is apparently aimed at assuaging the feelings of farmers ahead of the state elections.

    According to the government spokesman, the decision will directly benefit over 13 lakh users in rural and semi-rural areas.

    The order, announced by the Chief Minister’s office, divided the targeted consumers into four categories – metered, unmetered, energy efficient pumps and farmers in the urban areas receiving metered power supply.

    On metered connections for pumps in rural areas, farmers would be required to pay only Re 1 per unit instead of the existing Rs 2 per unit. The fixed charge of Rs 70 per horsepower (HP) too has been reduced to Rs 35 per HP.

    Likewise, in case of unmetered connection, the fixed charge has been reduced from Rs 170 per HP to Rs 85 per HP.

    For energy efficient pumps, the electricity rates have been reduced from Rs 1.6 to 83 paise per unit. The fixed charge, too, has been slashed from Rs 70 per HP to Rs 35 per HP.

    In case of farmers receiving metered power supply in the urban areas, the electricity rate has been reduced from Rs 6 per unit to Rs 3 per unit. The fixed charge has also been brought down from Rs 130 to Rs 65 per HP.

    The Chief Minister’s office said the decision has been taken keeping in view the ‘convenience and prosperity’ of the farmers. The sop will come into effect immediately, a government spokesperson said.

    ALSO READ: The ‘missing 4’ in UP polls

  • The ‘missing 4’ in UP polls

    The ‘missing 4’ in UP polls

    Though Kalyan Singh did not campaign in the 2017 assembly and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections since he was holding a gubernatorial assignment at that time, his presence was palpable in the polls as candidates and leaders rushed to him for advice….writes Amita Verma

    The absence of four top political leaders will be sorely felt in the upcoming UP assembly elections this year.

    These leaders were not only crowd-pullers for their parties but also represented vote banks that have the capacity of making and marring fortunes.

    The biggest loss in these elections will be for the BJP. The party’s best-known face in state politics – Kalyan Singh – is no more.

    The former chief minister, who passed away in August last year, was the OBC face of the BJP and commanded respect among the people. He was also a torchbearer of the Ayodhya movement and one of the first faces of Hindutva.

    His appeal extended beyond caste lines and his rapport with opposition leaders helped the party in times of crisis.

    Though Kalyan Singh did not campaign in the 2017 assembly and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections since he was holding a gubernatorial assignment at that time, his presence was palpable in the polls as candidates and leaders rushed to him for advice.

    Another stalwart who is already being missed in this election season is Lalji Tandon who passed away after prolonged illness in July 2020.

    Tandon was one of the few leaders in the BJP who rose beyond caste lines and was known for his election management and excellent administrative qualities. He was also the party’s crisis manager who handled the BJP’s turbulent relationship with the BSP.

    “He was one leader in the party to whom one could pour out his or her ‘mann ki baat’ in the true sense of the term, and he would listen patiently. Today, the leaders have no time to hear the workers’ problems,” said a minister who requested anonymity.

    Despite being a close associate of former Prime Minister, late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lalji Tandon was a people’s leader and known to keep an open house where one could walk in without an appointment – a phenomenon no longer seen in state politics.

    Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh, who died in May last year, was the tallest political leader in western UP.

    Though his Rashtriya Lok Dal is poised for a revival after the farmers’ agitation, Ajit Singh’s absence is being deeply felt by his party workers.

    “He knew all party workers by name and heard every point of view before taking a decision. He was one leader with whom we could even voice dissent on issues and he would listen. This is an extremely crucial election for the party and also for Jayant Chaudhary and we are all missing ‘Chaudhary saheb’, as he was affectionately called,” said a party leader.

    The Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, will find it difficult to find an orator as powerful as Mohd Azam Khan, who was also among the party’s star campaigners.

    Azam Khan has been lodged in jail since February 2020 on charges that range from statue theft, buffalo theft, goat theft, books theft, land grabbing, encroachment and forgery.

    With Azam Khan missing in action, the SP does not have a Muslim face in the upcoming elections and the entire burden of campaigning now rests on the shoulders of Akhilesh Yadav.

    Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi patriarch, will also remain away from the campaign though he may make one or two appearances.

    The veteran leader is facing health issues and has been advised to keep away from crowds, especially at a time when Covid cases are surging.

    “Netaji (Mulayam Singh) may issue a video appeal for all constituencies and may even address a rally or two if the situation eases during campaigning,” said a source.

    ALSO READ: AIMIM to host conference on status of Muslims in UP

  • Uttar Pradesh has 39,598 voters above 100 years of age

    Uttar Pradesh has 39,598 voters above 100 years of age

    As per EC data, the highest number of centurion electors are registered in Aligarh (1,727) followed by Prayagraj (1,413), Azamgarh (1,252), Ballia (1,213), Ghazipur (1,135) and Shahjahanpur (948)….reports Asian Lite News

    There are over 39,598 voters in Uttar Pradesh who are above 100 years of age. The Election Commission will be providing them special facilities, including that of postal ballot service, to vote.

    The state has a total of 15.02 crore registered voters.

    According to the Election Commission official, these centenarian voters will not only be encouraged to cast their vote, but they could also be made local ambassadors to motivate others to take part in the voting process.

    Lucknow district election officer, Abhishek Prakash, said, “The EC is offering postal ballot service at homes of voters who are above 80 years. Further, if any senior citizen voters wish to visit a polling booth, our on-duty staff will assist them in every possible way.”

    As per EC data, the highest number of centurion electors are registered in Aligarh (1,727) followed by Prayagraj (1,413), Azamgarh (1,252), Ballia (1,213), Ghazipur (1,135) and Shahjahanpur (948).

    Sultanpur and Mainpuri ddistrictsrecorded the least number of centurion voters 48 and 61 respectively.

    Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated former two-time 106-year-old MLA Shri Narain a.k.a. Bhulai Bhai, who had represented the Naurangiya Assembly segment, now known as Khadda in Kushinagar.

    Political parties also seem considerably enthused about these ‘super-senior voters’.

    Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Vaibhav Maheshwari said, “Centenarian voters have seen both colonial and free India. Their opinion in public has huge weightage. Our party will assist such voters to reach the nearest polling booth and vote for change.”

    BJP spokesman Harish Chandra Srivastava said, “These voters have immense experience. They have lived under several regimes, and with their vast experience they can often predict the elections results. Also, such voters have a lot of following in their community and families who follow them to polling booths.”

    ALSO READ: SPECIAL: UP Polls To Test Owaisi Factor in Indian Politics

  • UP to go big on startups from India Pavilion

    UP to go big on startups from India Pavilion

    13 Indian startups to pitch their innovative ideas to global investors as part of the India Innovation Hub…reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

    Uttar Pradesh (UP) is set to display its might in the startup ecosystem with as many as 11 startups from the state slated to present their innovative business ideas to global investors at the fourth session of the ‘Elevate’ pitching series on 14th December.

    The popular pitching series is a key initiative of the India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai that aims to display unconventional solutions created by 500 Indian startups over the course of five months under the Innovation Hub bus stationed outside the India Pavilion.

    UP to go big on startups from India Pavilion

    The startups from Uttar Pradesh will showcase their capabilities and present innovative ideas in sectors such as health & wellness, sustainability, agriculture, IT, technology, education, industries and many more. As per the Government of India data, Uttar Pradesh has over 5300 startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) out of which over 2600 are women-led.

    Some of the startups from UP to participate in Elevate-IV include  Life and Limb Pvt. Ltd that provides solution to people with upper limb amputation; Phool, a social enterprise that has pioneered the ‘flowercycling’ technology to reduce pollution in rivers by up-cycling flower temple-waste in India; Atma Nirbhar, a social venture that trains women to ride motorized scooters with the goal of increasing female labour force participation; Farmers Family, providing healthy and quality farm produce directly from farms to consumers and Truck Suvidha, that provides digital infrastructure for the truck industry.

    Other startups from UP to be present are Edu Gorilla, AIPL Infrastructure, E-Spin Nanotech, Vymanik Aerospace, Constems AI and Tech Eagle while SOQO, makers of reusable leak-proof underwear for women which they can wear on their periods, is from Madhya Pradesh and Vizara Technologies is from Delhi NCR. 

    With the introduction of the new ‘Startup Policy 2020’, Uttar Pradesh is aiming to inculcate the culture of entrepreneurship at school level itself to make students learn virtues of entrepreneurship during early years of their education.

    The Government of Uttar Pradesh has established INR 1000 crore Startup Fund for providing finance to startups. This fund is available in the form of fund of funds wherein the state government will not invest directly into the startups, but rather it will make investment in ‘Daughter Funds’, which would ultimately invest in startups promoting innovative ideas across all sectors in Uttar Pradesh.

    India is amongst the top 3 creators of unicorns in the world. Amidst the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic, 35 new unicorns have come into existence in India, taking the total number of unicorns to 72. The Indian startup ecosystem currently has over 57,000 startups from 628 districts across all 28 states and eight Union Territories, registered with the DPIIT and it is expanding even further. 

    ALSO READ: With 5 lakh visitors, India Pavilion stands tall at Expo

    Elevate platform provides startups the opportunity to gain knowledge about the global sectoral trends, best practices followed around the world, and get mentoring from sector experts and a networking window to interact with new-age entrepreneurs, innovators and investors.

    The first Elevate session saw 10 startups across sectors from the States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, pitching their ideas to over 15 investors, while the second session had 13 startups from Telangana presenting their ideas. The third session showcased 10 startups from Karnataka, Kerala and the UAE.  

    The next Elevate will happen on December 22nd. To participate in the India Innovation Hub series, please visit: https://form.jotform.com/213232304501033

  • UP makes strong pitch to global investors at Expo

    UP makes strong pitch to global investors at Expo

    Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, through a video message kickstarted the proceedings at the inauguration of UP floor at the India pavilion, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

    The state of Uttar Pradesh will be showcasing its business attractiveness, sectoral developmental growth journey and investment opportunities across key sectors like food processing, tourism, textiles, MSMEs, healthcare, education and start-up at the India Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai, as the state week commenced from Friday.

    Manish Chauhan, Director Industries, Government of Uttar Pradesh, set the objectives of Uttar Pradesh’s participation at Expo 2020 Dubai to showcase its growth story and explore areas of collaboration with our investor partners and the diaspora in the UAE. The state has seen tremendous improvement in infrastructure and business environment, under the visionary guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and our dynamic Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he further added.

    The chief minister, through a video message kickstarted the proceedings at the inauguration of Uttar Pradesh floor at the India pavilion. He stated that ‘Uttar Pradesh is one of the biggest industrial market. Under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, by following the principle of ‘Reform-Perform-Transform’, the state has taken numerous initiatives to transform its industrial landscape.’

    The state launched Nivesh Mitra; one of the largest single window system and sectoral policies, complimented by ideal law & order environment, which helped the state to achieve the 2nd rank in the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in 2019-20, in comparison to 14th rank in 2015-16.

    He further highlighted the vision & achievements of the state and said:
    Approximately INR 3.5 lakh crore worth of private investment actualized on-ground, as part of investment outreach; Highest number of MSMEs in the country; Launch of the One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme in 2018 to promote the indigenous craft of each district ;4 functional expressways i.e. Yamuna Expressway, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Purvanchal Expressway and Delhi Meerut Expressway. The foundation laying for the Ganga Expressway; one the longest expressway in India, to be done by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 18th December 2021.

    Concluding his address, the chief minister said, ‘Despite highest population in India, the state’s effective Covid-19 management and vaccination of 17 crore population is indicator of the preparedness of the administration. He also highlighted the cultural richness of the state, birthplace of Lord Rama and Krishna, land of Lord Shiva and River Ganga, which continue to guide the people.’

    K Kalimuthu, Consul (Economic, Trade & Commerce), in his address spoke about Uttar Pradesh being the land of varied cultures, highest registered MSMEs in India, ideal agro-climatic conditions, inspiring youth eager to contribute to the economic growth and nation building. He added, UAE & India had a trade of USD 60 billion pre-Covid and the recent economic partnership will further bolster the bilateral trade.

    Cabinet Minister – NRI, MSME & Textile, Shri Siddharth Nath Singh, in his keynote address stated UAE being the 3rd largest trading partner and 9th largest FDI contributor to India, in infrastructure, power, tourism, metallurgical and services sector. Also, the large Indian community based in the UAE is a key contributor in the economic development. He highlighted the achievements of the state and performances indices as the testimony of the highly effective policy driven governance and business environment.

    He further added the remarkable growth of the MSME sector in Uttar Pradesh. With ~9 million MSMEs, Uttar Pradesh is the hub of MSMEs in the country, contributing ~14% to the total MSME population in the country. He spoke about the new MSME Act which facilitates operations of MSME units within 72 hours of application, banks loan disbursement worth ~US$ 33 billion to state’s MSMEs, in the last four years (2017-18 to 2020-21) and the aspiration ‘One District One Product (ODOP) Programme’ to develop the indigenous craft & artisans of the state by creating an effective value chain, market linkages and export opportunities. In addition, he highlighted global private sector investment of over ~US$ 59 billion through MoU implementation and dedicated helpdesk, across sectors.

    Concluding his address, he stated that Uttar Pradesh is one of the major suppliers of manpower to most of the gulf countries, including UAE. The NRI Department has taken steps like a dedicated recruitment agency – UPFC Overseas Manpower Recruitment Agency (OMRA), to help sourcing employees for potential employers aboard; hosting a ‘Migrant Resource Centre (MRC)’ at OMRA, which is committed to ensure safe and legal migration of UP labour; and setting up ‘UP NRI Grievance Redressal System (GRS)’, a single window to resolve all the issues faced by the diaspora.

    Uttar Pradesh high-level delegation will be meetings potential investors and global companies to explore trade and investment opportunities for the state. The delegates from Uttar Pradesh will participate in incubator Meet & Mock Pitching Sessions, panel sessions on ‘India’s Strength in Education: STEM, Medicine and Business’ & ‘Liberal Arts Education in the making of a Global Citizen: The India Advantage’, industry visit to Allanasons Factory in Sharjah & DP World Jabel Ali Port, business meetings with industry associations (Dubai, Sarjah & Abu Dhabi) and many more business and cultural engagements.

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