Prez Murmu says investment opportunities created in UP in last 6-7 years

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that investment opportunities have been created and infrastructure has improved in Uttar Pradesh in the last six to seven years. She was speaking after inaugurating the first edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UP ITS) in Greater Noida in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

''I feel happy to come here and extend my best wishes to the participants of the UP International Trade Show. The efforts to bring the UP products to the international market are highly appreciated,'' Murmu said.

She noted that investment opportunities have been created and infrastructure improved in Uttar Pradesh in the last six to seven years. Uttar Pradesh is a fast-growing economy in the country.

''India is the fifth largest economy in the world and will soon become third. Uttar Pradesh has a major contribution to it,'' Murmu said.

The president noted that Uttar Pradesh ranks first among all the states with more than 96 lakh MSMEs. She further said that despite being a landlocked state, exports from Uttar Pradesh are continuously growing.

''The state's exports have increased from around Rs 88,000 crore in 2017-18 to about Rs 1,75,000 crore in 2022-23,'' Murmu said.

She pointed out that the G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration included the goal of local value creation and identifying the challenges faced by MSMEs and connecting them at the international level.

Murmu expressed confidence that the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show would advance our national and international priorities in line with the goals of the G20, an official statement said.

Uttar Pradesh MSME Minister Rakesh Sachan was also present at the event.

Over 2,000 exhibitors are displaying their products at the event to showcase prosperous Uttar Pradesh to the world.

Guests, entrepreneurs and exporters from various countries will participate in the programme where over two lakh visitors are expected. Entry for the general public is free from 3 pm to 8 pm.

Security was stepped up across the Gautam Buddh Nagar district, adjoining Delhi, with the deployment of around 8,000 police personnel and a dozen companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary and the paramilitary forces, a senior official said.

The police also appealed to the general public to avoid the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway between 2 pm and 8 pm and follow its traffic advisory.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Anand Kulkarni told PTI that around 8,000 policemen and women, apart from 12 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary and the paramilitary forces, are on duty during the trade show.

''Quick response teams are deployed at major security points. We have deployment on rooftops also, there will be CCTV monitoring as well,'' Kulkarni said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Kumar Yadav said around 1,300 personnel are deployed for traffic-related duties.

''We have issued traffic advisories over the last few days for the UP ITS so that people could avoid inconvenience due to diversions and restrictions. For today, we have urged the public to avoid the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway between 2 pm and 8 pm,'' Yadav said. Through the UP ITS, exhibitors will showcase their products to entrepreneurs and exporters. The products will cover diverse sectors like healthcare, food processing, pharmaceuticals, dairy, electronics and e-commerce, the state government said.

Various departments of the Uttar Pradesh government will showcase the state's potential and development roadmap through their stalls, it added.

''This event underscores the Yogi Adityanath government's commitment to achieving the goal of transforming the state into a one-trillion-dollar economy. The UP International Trade Show is envisioned as a regular fair that will uniquely promote small, medium, and large enterprises from Uttar Pradesh,'' it noted.