Lucknow: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Uttar Pradesh organised its State Annual Session 2025–26 & Conference on Building Viksit Uttar Pradesh: Powering Industry, Empowering People, Delivering Prosperity on 17 March 2026 in Lucknow, bringing together senior government officials, policymakers, industry leaders, and members of the industry to deliberate on the state’s development priorities and the pathway towards building a Viksit Uttar Pradesh.
The session served as an important platform for dialogue between industry and government, focusing on strengthening Uttar Pradesh’s position as a leading growth engine for India’s economy. Senior officials from the Government of Uttar Pradesh, along with prominent industry representatives, shared their perspectives on key sectors and policy priorities critical for the state’s economic transformation.
Addressing the gathering during the session on Power & Energy Landscape of Uttar Pradesh Narendra Bhooshan , IAS, ACS, Power & Renewable Energy, Government of Uttar Pradesh highlighted that the state’s significant progress in advancing its clean energy agenda, noting that nearly 50% of the targeted green energy capacity has already been achieved. He emphasized that Uttar Pradesh is steadily transitioning towards a more sustainable and diversified energy mix, aligned with national priorities. He further stated that the state is actively promoting renewable energy through policy support, ease of doing business, and facilitation of private sector participation.
Ashish Kumar Goel, IAS, Chairman & MD, UPPCL said that Uttar Pradesh is currently witnessing a stable and adequate energy scenario, with no significant shortage of power across the state. He highlighted that the government is actively strengthening the power distribution ecosystem, with a strong focus on improving efficiency and consumer experience. Calling for greater collaboration, he urged industry associations such as Confederation of Indian Industry to play a proactive role in building consumer awareness around energy efficiency. He reaffirmed UPPCL’s commitment to continuously improving the reliability and quality of power supply across Uttar Pradesh.
During the session on Uttar Pradesh as an Industrial Growth Engine, Alok Kumar, IAS, Principal Secretary, Planning & Programme Implementation, Government of Uttar Pradesh outlined the state’s forward-looking vision for infrastructure-led growth and emerging technology ecosystems. He shared that Lucknow is being developed as the country’s first AI City, positioning it as a hub for innovation, research, and next-generation digital enterprises. In parallel, Kanpur is being envisioned as a Drone City, aimed at fostering advanced manufacturing, skilling, and applications in unmanned aerial technologies. He emphasized that infrastructure strengthening remains a core priority of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, with sustained investments in roads, expressways, and highways to improve connectivity and enable seamless movement of goods and people. The state is also focusing on the development of multi-product industrial infrastructure to support diverse sectors and attract investments
Addressing the gathering during the session on Viksit Uttar Pradesh @ 2047: From Vision to Action, Manoj Kumar Singh , CEO, State Transformation Commission said that key global megatrends shaping the future of economies and urged Indian industry to align with emerging sectors such as advanced manufacturing, green energy, digital technologies, and new-age services. He emphasized that Uttar Pradesh is actively positioning itself to leverage these opportunities through policy support, innovation-driven ecosystems, and institutional reforms.
Amit Kumar Ghosh, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical Health, Family Welfare & Medical Education, Government of Uttar Pradesh, during the session on Transforming Healthcare in Uttar Pradesh highlighted the rapid expansion of healthcare access under Ayushman Bharat Yojana, noting significant empanelment of hospitals and outreach across the state in recent years. He emphasized the government’s strong push towards private sector partnerships, particularly in hospital infrastructure, telemedicine, and health & wellness centres in underserved areas. Inviting closer collaboration with CII, he encouraged industry participation in upcoming policies and investment opportunities to further strengthen the state’s healthcare ecosystem.
(Dr) M K Shanmuga Sundaram IAS, Principal Secretary, Labour & Employment Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh, during the session on Labour Reforms in Uttar Pradesh highlighted that noted that the Government of India has recently introduced new labour codes aimed at simplifying and consolidating labour regulations, and the state is fully committed to their effective implementation. He emphasized that Uttar Pradesh is focused on creating a balanced framework that safeguards workers’ welfare while enhancing ease of doing business for industry. He further highlighted ongoing efforts towards digitization of labour services, transparency in compliance mechanisms, and strengthening dispute resolution systems.
Addressing the session Shri Deepak Kumar , Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC), Government of Uttar Pradesh, mentioned that Uttar Pradesh is fast emerging as one of India’s most promising business destinations. With investor-friendly policies, faster approvals, world-class infrastructure, and a strong focus on ease of doing business, the state is creating real opportunities for entrepreneurs, MSMEs, and global investors. He also urged the industry to increase their participation in the field of skill development and partner the government in handholding the youth to make them future industry ready.
Dr Upasana Arora, Chairperson, CII Uttar Pradesh, emphasized the state’s strong progress towards becoming a trillion-dollar economy at the CII UP Annual Session 2025–26. She highlighted CII’s proactive role in fostering industry–government collaboration, driving key sectoral initiatives, and enabling inclusive growth. She reiterated CII’s commitment to supporting Uttar Pradesh’s growth journey and contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat.
Abhishek Saraff, Vice-Chairman, CII Uttar Pradesh, highlighted the growing industrial momentum in the state and the critical role of collaborative efforts in achieving the trillion-dollar economy vision. He emphasized the importance of innovation, infrastructure development, and ease of doing business in accelerating growth. He also noted CII’s continued focus on strengthening industry engagement and supporting policy advocacy.
The event witnessed participation from a large number of industry members, policy experts, and institutional stakeholders, making it a significant forum for shaping the future growth trajectory of Uttar Pradesh.
Abhishek Saraff, Managing Director, Avadh Rail Infra Limited, assumes the charge of CII UP State Chairman and Pranay S Garg , Managing Director, Advance Valves Pvt Limited, becomes the Vice Chairman of CII UP State. The details of the Chairman and Vice Chairman is attached for your reference.
