Prayagraj: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said investment proposals worth over Rs 35,000 crore are taking shape in the state’s six defence industrial corridors located in Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Aligarh and Chitrakoot.Addressing the closing ceremony of the three-day NorthTech Symposium in Prayagraj, he said: “State govt has also created a large land bank. Through the defence and aerospace policy, incentives are being provided to investors willing to invest.”He also hailed the progress made towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing, with the nation moving towards the target of Rs 50,000 crore worth of defence exports.Yogi added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led govt was developing the country’s strategic and defence capabilities not to attack anyone, but to ensure its own security as “strength and capability are essential for security, peace and prosperity”.Yogi stressed the importance of building capabilities in surveillance, communications and other emerging technologies and warned of the dangers of overdependence on external sources for critical inputs and security, noting that the West Asia situation is an example of such vulnerability.“The one who is powerful and capable can only talk of peace,” said Yogi.The chief minister delineated the various new industries set up in the UP Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), including BrahMos.He assured the armed forces and industry of all possible support from state govt to build a defence manufacturing corridor comprising young and skilled manpower, a diverse base of over 96 lakh MSMEs and availability of land bank, among others.He said state govt has taken various initiatives to provide a market-ready and industry-ready workforce for defence industry, such as establishing centres of excellence.“The state is now home to over 21,000 startups. Uttar Pradesh has now shed its reputation as a ‘Bimaru’ state and has established its identity as an engine of growth,” he said.Yogi further highlighted the role of law and order in the progress of Uttar Pradesh. “Ensuring that the rule of law prevails at the grassroots is essential for good governance in the state,” he said, adding that the zero-tolerance policy towards crime and terrorism has led to growing investment in UP.Talking of the importance of developing warheads as per changing needs, Yogi said in modern warfare, it is the power grid, banking and communication system that must be protected from enemies as war is no more only about bullets but of signals.“Data and technology are of utmost importance,” he said.He thanked the Central and Northern commands of the Indian Army for organising North Tech Symposium in Prayagraj and related the event as a ‘Triveni’ of technology, knowledge and innovation.The chief minister also visited various stalls in the exhibition and interacted with industry vendors.The three-day symposium was organised by the Central Command and Northern Command of the Indian Army, in collaboration with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), from May 4 to 6. Two hundred eighty-four vendors and industry partners have set up their stalls in the exhibition.
