NABARD-supported State Rural Development Conference Focuses on Viksit Uttar Pradesh 2047; Special Emphasis on Credit Access Across All 75 Districts
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government will prepare a measurable and time-bound credit action plan for all 75 districts to strengthen the rural economy, promote agricultural industries and expand entrepreneurship among women and youth.
The initiative was discussed at the State Rural Development Conference 2026, organised by the Finance Department in collaboration with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) at Parijat Auditorium in Vidhan Bhavan, Lucknow.
The conference focused on expanding institutional credit facilities in rural areas in line with the vision of Viksit Uttar Pradesh 2047, with particular attention to agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and rural enterprises.
It was decided that district-level credit plans would be translated into actionable programmes over the next one to two years. Specific targets will be established at district and block levels, while banking institutions will be held accountable for achieving them. Regular monitoring will be undertaken through Block Level Bankers’ Committees and District Consultative Committees.
The recommendations emerging from the conference will also be incorporated into NABARD’s State Focus Paper for 2027-28.
In agriculture and horticulture, participants emphasised increasing term loans, strengthening rural infrastructure and encouraging local processing of agricultural produce. The concept of ‘One District, One Value Chain’ was highlighted as a means of developing region-specific economic opportunities. Improving digital access to institutional credit for small and tenant farmers and connecting Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) with bank financing were also discussed.
The conference stressed that women’s and youth entrepreneurship initiatives should go beyond loan approvals and focus on establishing sustainable businesses, generating employment and increasing household incomes.
In the animal husbandry sector, participants were informed about the inclusion of NABARD’s Dairy Development Scheme in the State Livestock Mission. A separate fisheries development plan prepared for Uttar Pradesh was also presented.
For the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, the discussions focused on expanding term lending for capital formation alongside working capital support. Participants also emphasised helping micro enterprises grow into small and medium businesses and promoting cluster-based financing.
The commercialisation of One District One Product (ODOP) and Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products received attention. The concept of developing farms as centres of local processing and manufacturing, described as ‘Farm to Factory’, was also discussed to strengthen rural value chains.
Special emphasis was placed on addressing regional disparities in credit availability in Bundelkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The conference also called for providing repeat financing to rural entrepreneurs seeking to expand their businesses and establishing separate monitoring mechanisms for annual credit plans covering agriculture and allied sectors.
The conference concluded with a call for stronger interdepartmental coordination, institutional accountability and effective implementation of outcome-oriented district-level action plans.
The broader objective is to increase the flow of institutional credit into rural areas, encourage agro-based industries, strengthen self-employment opportunities and accelerate inclusive economic growth across Uttar Pradesh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=RtToJsBhYBatUrym&v=mOuYNSdhjHA&feature=youtu.be
