UP to build sports colleges at divisional headquarters

Reaffirming his strong commitment to the promotion of sports and sportspersons, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today announced the government will build sports colleges at every divisional headquarters.

This will be in addition to developing playgrounds in every gram panchayat, mini stadiums at the block level, and large stadiums at the district level.

He was addressing the award distribution ceremony of the MLA Sports Competition 2025 for the Gorakhpur City Assembly constituency.

Speaking at the Veer Bahadur Singh Sports College, the CM said the government is strengthening the sports infrastructure.

An international stadium is coming up near Beliapar in Gorakhpur, while the regional stadium of Gorakhpur is undergoing renovation at a cost of Rs 63 crore.

A state-of-the-art stadium is also being developed at Veer Bahadur Singh Sports College.

In Meerut, the academic session has already commenced at the sports university named after hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, where world-class construction work is progressing rapidly.

Explaining the importance of sports, Yogi said when youth plays, the nation blossoms. He emphasised that success in life is possible only with a healthy body, which can be achieved through sports and yogic practices.

He said over the past 11 years, there has been a significant transformation in sports and sporting activities across the country.

The world now looks towards India in sports such as kabaddi, hockey, badminton, and athletics, the CM noted.

IIT Kanpur concludes phase-I placements for 2025-26

The Students’ Placement Office (SPO) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has successfully concluded Phase I of the campus placements for the 2025–26 graduating batch.

Continuing last year’s flexible approach, hiring was conducted in on-campus, virtual, and hybrid modes to maximize accessibility for recruiters and students.

This initial phase saw robust participation from over 250 organizations across diverse sectors, extending a total of 1,202 offers.

Students accepted 1,079 of these offers, which include Pre-Placement Offers. A notable highlight was 15 students securing international offers from companies based in Europe, Japan, Korea, and the United States.

The institute anticipates a further expansion of global opportunities in Phase II placements, which are scheduled to commence from mid-January 2026.

The phase featured leading domestic and international companies, including Accenture, Airbus, American Express, BlackRock, Boeing, Databricks, Deutsche Bank, ICICI Bank, Mastercard, Meesho, Navi, PwC, Qualcomm, Samsung, InMobi, and Square Point Capital, and many more.

Several Public Sector Undertakings, such as BPCL, BEL, MIDHANI, and EIL, also participated actively.

On the completion of Phase-I of the campus placements, Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, said, “The successful conclusion of Phase-I placements reflects the academic rigor, adaptability, and industry-readiness of our students, as well as the institute’s strong and enduring engagement with leading organizations in India and abroad.

I commend the Students’ Placement Office for efficiently managing a flexible and inclusive placement process.

We remain committed to nurturing talent that is capable of contributing meaningfully to global and national growth, and we look forward to continued success in the upcoming phases.”

Prof Ashwani Kumar Thakur, Chairperson, SPO, IIT Kanpur, said, “We sincerely thank all participating recruiters for their continued support and confidence in the talent pool of IIT Kanpur.

Their partnership plays a vital role in shaping the careers of our students. As the placement season unfolds, the SPO remains dedicated to guiding students toward promising and enduring professional pathways.”

Prof Manjesh Kumar Singh, Vice-Chairperson, SPO, IIT Kanpur, added, “The advancements we see today are a result of the dedicated efforts of the entire SPO team and the constant support of our faculty.

Our recruiting partners continue to be instrumental in nurturing the ambitions of our students, and we are truly grateful for this sustained collaboration.”

Building on the success of Phase I, IIT Kanpur looks forward to an even more productive Phase II, which begins next month, to provide opportunities for the remaining students.

UP top gears defence projects of Rs 23,000 crore

To put Uttar Pradesh firmly on India's defence manufacturing map, the Yogi Adityanath government is speeding up defence and military-ware projects totalling Rs 23,000 crore.

These 110 projects pertain to different categories of defence hardware such as drones, arms, ammunition, missiles, propellant systems, parachutes, defence textiles etc.

The mega Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) spans six nodes viz. Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Aligarh, Agra and Chitrakoot.

The UPDIC is a critical part of the 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) themes to reduce the country's dependency on costly foreign defence imports.

So far, nodal agency UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority #UPEIDA has signed 197 memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with leading defence and aerospace companies for setting up production units in the UPDIC nodes.

The UP Defense Corridor will not only transform UP’s industrial landscape but also position India as a global defence manufacturing hub.

Major investors in the UPDIC include Adani Defence and Aerospace, BrahMos Aerospace, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Tata Technologies, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) etc.

Lucknow-based BrahMos Aerospace is an Indo-Russia joint venture between India's DRDO and Russia's NPOM to develop next generation supersonic missiles.

He said the UPDIC has been strategically aligned with major initiatives such as 'One District, One Product' (ODOP) and 'Make in UP'.

Interestingly, the Corridor is among the key projects of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who regularly monitors its progress to realise its full potential for industrial growth and job creation.

With the overarching objective of boosting India’s defence and aerospace self-reliance, about 62 UPDIC projects have so far been allotted 977 hectares of land.

These projects involve investments of almost Rs 12,000 crore. Together with additional 110 projects worth Rs 23,000 in the pipeline, the UPDIC has amassed investment proposals to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore with a job creation potential of over 52,000.

Meanwhile, UPEIDA has approved 2,100 hectares of land across the six nodes, while 1,600 hectares are currently available for allotment to industry.

Aligarh tops with the allotment of land to maximum 24 companies while Kanpur ranks first in total land allotment of 210 hectares allocated to five companies.

In Jhansi, 17 companies have been allotted 571 hectares; in Lucknow 16 companies have received 131 hectares of land. The allotment process will soon begin in Chitrakoot.

Yogi 2.0 tables Supplementary Budget of Rs 24k crore

The Yogi Adityanath government has tabled a Supplementary Budget of more than Rs 24,496 crore in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

The Supplementary Budget was presented yesterday by UP finance minister Suresh Khanna in the state legislature for the current financial year 2025-26.

Since the UP Annual Budget 2025-26, which was tabled on February 20, 2025 amounted to Rs 8.08 trillion, the state's total Budget size for the current fiscal has now burgeoned to more than Rs 8.32 trillion.

In his address, Khanna said the Supplementary Budget would provide funds to all key sectors and departments including industrial development, energy, health, urban development, sugarcane etc.

The current Supplementary Budget comprises revenue and capital heads of Rs 18,369 crore and Rs 6,127 crore respectively.

It proposes Rs 4,874 crore and Rs 4,521 crore for industrial development and energy respectively.

Moreover, the state health sector and urban development have been allocated Rs 3,500 crore and Rs 1,758 crore respectively.

While technical education will receive a funding of almost Rs 640 crore, the women and child development head have been given Rs 535 crore.

Similarly, state green interface UP New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (NEDA) and medical education have been allocated Rs 500 crore and Rs 423 crore respectively in the Supplementary Budget.

The sugarcane and sugar sector have been given an additional budget of Rs 400 crore.

Meanwhile, the UP Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has been estimated at more than Rs 31 trillion.

Supplementary Budget is tabled to get legislative approval for additional or contingency expenses during the course of a financial year for ongoing as well as new projects.

In recent years, the Yogi government has been generously allocating funds for mega projects pertaining to infrastructure, agriculture, social sector, rural development, industry, tourism etc to propel its ambitious $1 trillion economy target.

The current winter session of the bicameral UP legislature, which has two houses viz. Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad, started on December 19 (Friday).

UP to fortify semiconductor ecosystem

Uttar Pradesh is fast evolving into a hub of cutting edge technologies and products including semiconductors.

Focusing on job creation in Uttar Pradesh, strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem is becoming a crucial part of the state's industrial policy.

The joint OSAT unit of HCL and Foxconn, to be established in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) area, is being seen as a major achievement in this direction.

Consequently, with the expansion of the semiconductor ecosystem, the Yamuna Expressway region is rapidly emerging as a new employment hub for Uttar Pradesh.

This initiative will not only accelerate industrial development but will also provide new strength to the state's economy.

According to Roshni Malhotra, Chairperson of the HCL Group, the joint OSAT unit of HCL and Foxconn will give a new direction to job creation in UP.

The proposed project is expected to create more than 3,500 direct employment opportunities in the state. 

These jobs will include roles in engineering, technicians, production specialists, quality control and management.

This initiative is being seen as a strong foundation for high-tech employment in the state, giving young people the opportunity to connect directly with modern industry.

From an employment perspective, the impact of this project will not be limited to the factory premises.

Several ancillary industries related to packaging, logistics, raw material supply, equipment, maintenance, and service sectors will develop alongside the semiconductor unit.

This is expected to create thousands of indirect jobs. Local MSMEs will also receive opportunities for expansion and new business ventures, strengthening the regional economy.

Along with the semiconductor industry, the state government is placing special emphasis on skill development. Under the OSAT project, plans are underway to train young people in advanced technologies.

Special training programs will be launched in collaboration with industry and academic institutions to prepare the state's youth for future technological demands.

This will strengthen their employability in the long term and provide them with global opportunities.

This unit, which is being established near Jewar Airport in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority area, is also considered crucial for regional development.

Owing to robust connectivity and modern industrial infrastructure, this area is rapidly emerging as a high-tech employment hub.

The increasing flow of investment will not only create more jobs but will also enable UP to play a significant role in the semiconductor-based economy.

UP to offer marketing assistance for service exports

Uttar Pradesh has become India's first state to offer marketing development assistance for service exports under the UP Export Promotion Policy 2025–30.

It is a major step to accelerate the growth of service sector exports from the landlocked state.

The scheme will provide financial support to help service exporters expand their footprint in international markets.

This will enhance the global competitiveness of service exporters from UP, strengthen their marketing capabilities, and improve service quality in line with international standards.

By promoting service exports, the scheme will strengthen the state’s export-oriented economy while generating new employment and investment opportunities.

The scheme will benefit service exporters registered with the UP Export Promotion Bureau (UPEPB) and the UP Export Promotion Council, who are engaged in exporting services under the 12 champion service sectors identified by the Government of India and are promoting services originating from Uttar Pradesh in global markets.

Under the policy, service exporters will be eligible for financial assistance of up to 75 percent, subject to a maximum of Rs 2 lakh, towards stall rental expenses for participation in international trade fairs, exhibitions, and buyer-seller meets held abroad.

Additionally, assistance of up to 75 percent, capped at Rs 1 lakh, will be provided towards economy class air travel for one participant.

For participation in international trade fairs held within the country, assistance of up to Rs 50,000 for stall rental and up to Rs 25,000 for travel expenses will be available.

Organising agencies conducting international trade fairs, exhibitions, and buyer-seller meets abroad will be eligible for financial assistance covering up to 75 percent of the total expenditure, with a maximum limit of Rs 1 crore.

For similar international events held within the country, assistance of up to Rs 75 lakh will be provided. Participation by a minimum of 20 service-exporting units will be mandatory in this category.

In recent years, UP service sector has recorded strong growth in exports and currently contributes nearly 45 percent to the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), underscoring its vital role in achieving the state’s target of becoming a $1 trillion economy.

High-potential sectors include IT-ITES, fintech, tourism, health and wellness, logistics, transportation, supply chain services, and media and audiovisual services.

The entire application process under the scheme will be conducted online.

Exporting units must submit their applications within 120 days from the conclusion of the fair or event. Eligible claims will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, with the approved assistance amount transferred directly to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

UP agri policy boosting rural economy

Uttar Pradesh has developed a robust and integrated agricultural value chain from seed to #market to enhance farmers’ income.

Over the past eight and a half years, major decisions have been taken to ensure that farmers have seamless access from cultivation to market.

As a result, a modern, farmer-centric model has taken shape in the landlocked state.

UP Chief Minister #YogiAdityanath has placed special emphasis on ensuring that farmers keep pace with the digital era.

Due to sustained UP government efforts, the state’s agricultural growth rate has risen from 8.6% in 2016–17 to 17.7% in 2024–25.

#UttarPradesh now ranks first in the country, producing 40 million tonnes of fruits and vegetables annually.

The Yogi government is not only focused on crop cultivation, but consistently introducing new income-generating opportunities for farmers.

Farmers are receiving free soil health cards through a mobile app, providing complete information about their land’s condition.

A major milestone has been the government’s regular revision of the Minimum Support Price #MSP

This year, the MSP for common #paddy has been fixed at ₹2,369 per quintal and for Grade A paddy at ₹2,389 per quintal, an increase of ₹69 from last year.

The price for early variety sugarcane has been raised to ₹400 per quintal, and for the normal variety to ₹390 per quintal. This has provided a significant boost to farm incomes.

UP AGREES Project has been launched to help farmers increase productivity, adopt modern agricultural methods, and create new sources of agriculture-based employment in rural areas.

Under the Chief Minister’s Krishi Samriddhi Yojana, farmers are being provided loans at affordable interest rates.

The scope of the Kisan Credit Card #KCC scheme has also been expanded, with a target of issuing 25 lakh new KCCs this year. Additionally, a 50% subsidy is being offered on tractors, harvesters, drones, and crop-residue management equipment.

The UP government is providing #farmers with free daily information on market prices and weather conditions.

More than 14.5 million Farmer Card IDs have been issued so far. Seedling production through women’s self-help groups is creating employment for nearly 60,000 women.

A Seed Park is also being developed in Lucknow at a cost of ₹251 crore, in honor of Bharat Ratna and former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.

The establishment of over 4,000 active procurement centers across the state is a transformative achievement of the Yogi government.

Notably, 35–40% of these centers were established in blocks where farmers had lacked permanent procurement facilities for decades.

Now, with procurement centers located closer to villages, farmers benefit from reduced transportation costs, quicker sales, and protection from market price fluctuations.