From a "BIMARU" state to one with $1 trillion economy target

When Yogi Adityanath took over the reins in 2017, Uttar Pradesh was tagged a 'BIMARU' state.

- Umesh Raghuvanshi

LUCKNOW: Eight years down the line, the state aims to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2029—the deadline set by the CM to achieve the goal.

'BIMARU' is an acronym earlier used for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to define their economic backwardness.

Also at a time when the states like Gujarat were being viewed as a model for governance, Uttar Pradesh has carved out a niche for itself with its own governance model and the Yogi government's policies like the 'One District One Product' are being replicated around the country.

A final picture of the economic impact of Prayagraj Mahakumbh 2025 though will emerge once the data is out, the grand turnout at the event may apparently help in strengthening the state's position as a destination for the tourists and thus bring about economic progress.

There are already claims that the event generated a revenue of Rs 2 lakh crore or more and the statistics of U.P.'s revenue collection in 2024-2025 and its impact on the GSDP would be watched with keen interest.

Uttar Pradesh's GSDP has more than doubled in the past 8 years from Rs 12.75 lakh crore in 2016-2017 and is expected to reach Rs 27.50 lakh crore on March 31, 2025. The state government has projected a growth rate of 11.85 percent to take the GSDP to the level of Rs 30.77 lakh crore in 2025-2026.

Uttar Pradesh began striving to become a trillion-dollar economy soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi first floated the idea while speaking at the UP Investors Summit-2018, the first such major effort of Yogi government to attract investment in the state.