Latest news with #InfrastructureChapter
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
TOI Dialogues – Infrastructure Chapter: Roads, sports, and tourism driving New Uttar Pradesh's growth
The sixth edition of TOI Dialogues – turned the spotlight on how New Uttar Pradesh is evolving into a more liveable, mobile and culturally vibrant state, with panellists emphasising the transformative power of infrastructure on daily life, opportunities and identity. Titled 'Life, Travel, and Play: The Real Impact of Infrastructure in New Uttar Pradesh', the discussion was moderated by Prasad Sanyal, Business Head, and brought together actor-entrepreneur Gul Panag , former Indian cricketer RP Singh, and author Akshat Gupta. Gul Panag underlined the direct link between infrastructure and empowerment, especially for women. 'Structure is empowerment. I've seen firsthand how improved roads, better public transport has unlocked opportunity for women. When infrastructure is built with a people-first mindset, you can see its impact across society… 50% of the country's human resource and the state's human resource is now being able to contribute equally to the ecosystem,' she said, adding that this shift is vital for economic and social development. RP Singh reflected on the role of the state government in nurturing sporting talent. 'The UP government has played a very big role in my growth. In 1975, Sports College was opened… in cricket in 2004-05, me and (Suresh) Raina represented the country after 30 years. One has to have a little patience. But even now, I think there are some areas where we can do better infrastructure-wise for our sports,' he remarked. Akshat Gupta spoke about the state's unmatched cultural and religious tourism potential. 'Uttar Pradesh in itself is the centre of India and if both Rama and Krishna are here, then think where we can reach in religious tourism with good infrastructure, which we are reaching,' he said. The TOI Dialogues – Infrastructure Chapter, held in Lucknow on August 7, brought together policymakers, industry leaders and changemakers to explore urban development, smart mobility, cultural revival and sustainable growth in Uttar Pradesh. Organisers said the aim was to 'spark meaningful conversations' about the state's infrastructure journey, which is now seen as a driver of opportunity, connectivity and cultural pride.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
TOI Dialogues – Infrastructure Chapter: UP emerging as India's new growth engine; govt pushes for sustainable water future
Uttar Pradesh's additional chief secretary and in-charge of state's renewable energy and technical education department, Narendra Bhooshan said on Thursday that Uttar Pradesh is the 'new growth driver of India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ' He was speaking at the TOI Dialogues – Infrastructure Chapter, in his address he highlighted that the energy sector is one area which will be instrumental in achieving the state's ambition of a $1 trillion economy. He emphasised upon the fact that UP being the country's most populous state is on the forefront of energy transition and consumption, helping it grow massively in terms of energy demand, value addition, capital investment, job creation and revenue generation. He credited UP CM Adityanath and PM Modi for the transformation. Bhoooshan pointed out the key goals set by the PM, 'to achieve VIksit Bharat 2047, at a global level India needs to act as Vishwa Vijeta', and the panch amrit principle - net zero by 2070, non-fossil fuel based energy capacity of 500GW by 2030, to generate 50 per cent of country energy requirement coming from renewable sources and so on.' He went on to talk about the concerted efforts put in by the UP government in order align itself with the larger goal of the PM and making India a leading economy in the world. The secretary even referred to how the growth in this sector in fact acts as a leverage against the duty imposition such as by the US, as there isn't any export but self consumption. He also mentioned the 'Hindu rate of growth' - referring to the commentary by Raj Krishna, an economist, about the abysmal GDP growth of India in the years following Independence till the 90's when economy was opened up - he said today we have come a long way from that and now 'we grow on an average of 7-8 per cent,' but 'in order to achieve PM vision we need to break this as well and perhaps grow at 9-10 per cent. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ' He termed power sector as the key in achieving that goal and said that UP last year left Maharashtra way behind in peak energy consumption and was on the way to do so this year as well', with an average growth in sector of 9-11 per cent. In a separate panel discussion on - UP's holistic approach to sustainability and water security - it discussed the vital steps taken by the government to safeguard states natural resources, and water governance, in order to ensure a brighter future for generations to come. The panel was joined by GS Naveen, UP government secretary of irrigation, and Ganesh Thorat, CEO of Naam Foundation. The panel discussed the challenges faced by the government in order to manage the depleting water levels and shrinking rivers, taking a sustainable route for a 'Green and Blue Future' with Uttar Pradesh being a highly agricultural state. They highlighted how the culturally important Tamsa river in Azamgarh was brought back from extreme shrinking to its full flow with the help of targeted community run campaign over the period of two months, against disposing waste in the river and making clean and helping it flow at its full might. The panel also talked about several similar efforts that are underway in order to reach a sustainable future.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
TOI Dialogues - Infrastructure Chapter: UP's path to future-ready growth; experts stress need for skill development
TOI Dialogues – Infrastructure Chapter in Lucknow As part of its ongoing initiative 'Driving India's Growth One Dialogue at a Time,' Times of India hosted the latest edition of its flagship event, TOI Dialogues – Infrastructure Chapter in Lucknow. The e-conclave brought together key voices from government and industry to deliberate on Uttar Pradesh 's developmental strides in infrastructure, employment and investment. The event focused on Uttar Pradesh's transformational journey, with particular emphasis on roads, smart cities, green energy and industrial growth. The second panel discussion was on the theme 'Creating a Future-Ready Uttar Pradesh by Connecting Infrastructure, Industry, and Human Capital' and was moderated by Sanjay Bhatnagar. The panel comprised of following dignitaries: Amit Mohan Prasad, Ex-additional chief secretary MSME Pulkit Khare, Mission Director, Skill Development Mission, Uttar Pradesh Shashank Chaudhary, Assistant CEO, Invest UP Rahul Ahluwalia, Director, Foundation for Economic Development Vineet Rai, Vice Chairman, Aavishkaar Group Amit Mohan Prasad: MSMEs as growth engines: Opening the discussion, Amit Mohan Prasad emphasized Uttar Pradesh's emergence as a top investment destination due to factors such as improved law and order, progressive industrial policies and a large consumer base. Highlighting the CM Yuva program, he explained the state's flagship scheme aims to support one lakh micro enterprises annually over the next decade. 'MSMEs are the biggest employment generators, contributing 30% to GDP, 60% to employment and 45% to exports,' he noted. Pulkit Khare: Skilling for the future: Pulkit Khare stressed the critical link between infrastructure and human capital, noting that without the right skill sets, physical infrastructure loses its value. He revealed that only 70% of graduates in UP are considered industry-ready, with national figures even lower. The initiative lead by him is providing free training programs in emerging domains like AI and IT to bridge the gap. 'Any kind of physical infrastructure is incomplete if we don't have proper human infrastructure,' he added. Shashank Chaudhary: Changing perceptions of UP: Shashank Chaudhary addressed the evolving investor sentiment, pointing out that UP was once seen as an agrarian state, plagued with concerns over governance and infrastructure. However, initiatives like expressway networks, upcoming airports and electronic manufacturing parks have redefined investor confidence. 'Today, investors appreciate the scale of development. Those who've started operations in UP are running them successfully,' he stated. Rahul Ahluwalia: UP must compete globally: Rahul Ahluwalia offered a broader perspective on ease of doing business, arguing that UP must now aim to compete with countries like China and Vietnam, not just Indian states. 'UP has gone from being one of the most restrictive states to one of the most liberal in terms of business reforms,' he observed. Vineet Rai: A time for introspection: Concluding the discussion, Vineet Rai acknowledged that basic infrastructural needs have been met, but the state must now focus on raising per capita GDP and achieving the aspiration of becoming a $1 trillion economy. He stressed the need for joint action by the government and private sector, saying, 'The ecosystem in UP at this point of time needs a critical introspection of itself.'
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
TOI Dialogues-Infrastructure chapter: Industry leaders back UP's strategy; defence ecosystem gains spotlight
Lucknow hosted the Infrastructure Chapter on Thursday, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, changemakers and experts for panel discussions and fireside chats on urban development, smart mobility, sustainability and industrial growth. The event also served as a networking platform for real estate developers, infrastructure consultants and investors eyeing opportunities in Uttar Pradesh. A key highlight was the panel on 'Defence & Infrastructure Development', themed 'UP's Strategic Defence Corridor: From Manufacturing to Modernisation'. Speakers included Col Sanjay Singh, Sudhir Mishra (former CEO & MD, BrahMos Aerospace), Major General Ajay Chaturvedi (defence expert), Manoj Gupta (chairman, MKU Ltd), and Milind Raj, known as the 'Drone Man of India'. Responding to a question on how prepared Uttar Pradesh is to tap into India's defence manufacturing push, Manoj Gupta said, 'This defence manufacturing journey started from 2018, as we all know that the announcement of two nodes, one in UP and one in Tamil Nadu was announced by honourable Prime Minister in the first investor's summit. Post that our honourable CM finalised six nodes in UP. These nodes have grown so drastically, so fast and I'm happy to say that almost most of these nodes are all being allotted and full with the industries.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your New Zealand escape starts with Singapore Airlines Fly with Singapore Airlines Book Now Undo H e added, 'The kind of infrastructure developments during recent years, it has raised the interest of many investors in India and worldwide to put up their facilities in UP.' He also pointed out that the recent geopolitical crisis had added further urgency. 'Another major push has come up in the defence sector and everyone is now looking up to it especially when the government is increasing defence manufacturing.' Sudhir Mishra, speaking on bridging the gap between science and private investment, said UP had emerged as a logical location for expansion. He said that there had always been defense in southern India because of maybe the geographical reasons. "But if we see today, then, geography plays not much role but we wanted to spread out from, uh, our facilities at Hyderabad, Nagpur, Pilani and Delhi and Trivandrum of course so we, uh, when we discussed with Raksha Mantri and we closed down on the Lucknow. Because UP defense corridor has been designated as a as a place where we can set up and the right ecosystem would come.' "Right ecosystem is required where technology can be converted into industry which UP corridor has,' he added. Major general Chaturvedi noted that such initiatives take time. 'My own understanding of the whole thing is that these are the things which take a little time. They've got their own moment of inertia. So you are, if you are expecting, that DC will become operationalized in two years three years, not it is not possible.' He added, 'Road means development, and development means depends. Therefore first, they had gone for a big road infrastructure. Sustained power supply availability of water. Now, 1 area, which is still being done, is capacity building and capacity building in terms of manpower.' Col Sanjay Singh highlighted the uniqueness of the defence corridor in UP. 'Why is unique is because unlike the other states here, the complete land that was acquired for the defense industry corridor was a green field acquisition. Now, that became a biggest challenge as far as the infrastructure was concerned. 1207 crore rupees worth work is being executed or has been completed.' Rounding off the session, Milind Raj said that the research ecosystem in the state had given a big push to innovation. 'This kind of ecosystem, which is given Entrepreneurs to start a players by the government is extremely important and UP has unparalleled potential.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
UP's infrastructure journey takes centre stage at TOI Dialogues today
Lucknow: After successful editions in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur, TOI Dialogues will now put the spotlight on Uttar Pradesh's infra journey. TOI Dialogues — Infrastructure Chapter will be held in Lucknow on Thursday. It will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, changemakers and experts for thought-provoking panel discussions and fireside chats on urban development, industrial growth, smart mobility and sustainability against the backdrop of Uttar Pradesh's evolving infrastructure landscape. The keynote address will be delivered by UP finance minister Suresh Khanna, who will share his vision for the state's infrastructure-led growth. Some of the key speakers will be Awanish Awasthi, advisor to UP CM, actor Gul Panag, and principal secretary tourism Mukesh Meshram. The sessions and fireside chats will see the participation of secretaries, commissioners and heads of infrastructure-related departments, who will share key insights on policy frameworks, ongoing projects and Uttar Pradesh's future development agenda. These discussions will highlight the state government's vision and strategic initiatives that are ushering a new era of infra growth in Uttar Pradesh. In addition to thought-provoking discussions, the event will offer a valuable platform for networking among real estate developers, infra consultants, and industry leaders, paving the way for collaborations and new investment opportunities in Uttar Pradesh. Some of the key sessions will be Defence and infrastructure development; Maha Kumbh police management; Invest UP 2.0 and employment; Police modernization through technology, and Health and heritage. You can watch TOI Dialogues - Infrastructure Chapter live on Aug 7 at 5pm on
