As the Uttar Pradesh government prepares for the fifth Ground Breaking Ceremony (GBC-5) in November, it is shifting its investment focus from Greater Noida to Bundelkhand, hoping to steer new projects to regions where land is abundant but investor interest has lagged.
The move comes after Greater Noida emerged as the preferred destination in the previous four GBCs, driven by its proximity to Delhi and the now-operational Noida International Airport at Jewar. With investor demand for land in the NCR region continuing to outstrip availability, the government is now looking to promote investment in other parts of the state.
“To address this, the government has earmarked the Greater Noida region primarily for data centres and IT companies. In GBC-5, the focus will be on promoting Bundelkhand, where large land parcels are readily available,” a senior state government official said.
“Regions that have attracted less investment will be in focus. The government wants more investment in Bundelkhand, which is one of the six nodes of the Defence Industrial Corridor,” the official added.
Industrial development minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ said the government would announce additional concessions for entrepreneurs setting up units in B-category towns across the state.
“Investors need to look beyond Greater Noida. For this, more concessions will be offered in GBC-5 to investors if they set up units in small towns,” he said.
“Bundelkhand is a key focus area for pharma and solar power plants as these sectors need large land parcels, which are easily available there,” the minister added.
UP has hosted two Investor Summits so far. The 2018 summit drew proposals worth ₹4.28 lakh crore, while the 2023 event received proposals worth ₹33.50 lakh crore.
To fast-track implementation of these investment commitments, the government institutionalised the GBC mechanism.
According to Invest UP, of the 16,000+ proposals received, more than 8,000 projects have already started commercial operations. The rest are at various stages.
Officials said Bundelkhand has emerged as a priority for GBC-5 because of the easy availability of large land parcels, lower land costs and faster acquisition compared with the NCR region. The government is also planning sector-specific industrial parks to attract anchor investors. With connectivity improving through expressways, Bundelkhand is being projected as Uttar Pradesh’s next major investment destination beyond Greater Noida.
