Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Taj Palace Hotel in Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, on Wednesday by cutting the ribbon and lighting the ceremonial lamp. He subsequently inspected the hotel and reviewed its facilities, describing the new establishment as a significant achievement for Lucknow.
Addressing the gathering thereafter, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave the mantra, "Bada Socho, UP Jaisa Socho”, and congratulated the Managing Director of Taj Palace. He said the hotel was aligning itself with this tagline. He added that cities such as Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura-Vrindavan were also witnessing growing demand for such high-quality hotels, expressing hope that the hospitality infrastructure in these cities would continue to expand.
CM Yogi said that the soul of India resides in Uttar Pradesh. Attempts to disregard this identity had created a crisis of identity in the past. He said Uttar Pradesh possesses a rich heritage that has given India’s soul its distinctive identity.
He highlighted Ayodhya, Mathura-Vrindavan, Kashi and Prayagraj; the birthplace, Mahaparinirvana and knowledge centre associated with Lord Buddha; and the fact that several Jain Tirthankaras were born on this sacred land. He also noted that some of India’s most revered rivers, including the Ganga, Yamuna and Saryu, flow through Uttar Pradesh, with the Ganga and Yamuna traversing the state over significant distances.
“Despite having so much, when we ourselves forgot our own identity, a crisis of identity emerged,” he said.
Chief Minister said that over the past nine-and-a-half years, the state had rediscovered its identity and demonstrated that Uttar Pradesh is a state of unlimited potential.
He said that when his government assumed office in 2017, Uttar Pradesh ranked third in the country in tourism. However, in 2025, around 156 crore tourists visited destinations such as Kashi, Prayagraj, Mathura-Vrindavan and Ayodhya.
He recalled that the perception of Uttar Pradesh a decade ago was not favourable and that establishing a hotel such as Taj Palace in the state would once have seemed like a distant dream. Yet, despite the circumstances that existed before 2017, the Taj brand continued to have a presence in the state, which, he said, reflected the potential and influence of this land.
Chief Minister said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised that development must not come at the cost of heritage and that there must be a strong synergy between development and heritage.
“We have connected the two and established Uttar Pradesh as one of the best tourism destinations,” he said, adding that no country in the world or state in India can now match Uttar Pradesh. UP stands ahead of all.
He said that after 'One District One Product (ODOP), efforts were now underway to give recognition to One District One Cuisine as well.
CM Yogi said the Taj Group has a long and distinguished legacy. Its first hotel was established in Mumbai in 1903, where both Taj Mahal and Taj Palace hotels were subsequently established. The group later expanded its presence in Delhi.
“Lucknow is the third city to have both Taj Mahal and Taj Palace hotels,” he said.
He highlighted Lucknow’s rich heritage and cultural traditions and noted the special importance accorded to the city by UNESCO.
Chief Minister said that when the state began working to strengthen Uttar Pradesh’s identity, it recognised that the time had come to explore its vast potential. This required better infrastructure, a secure environment and a sense of participation among the people.
He said these changes are now visible across Uttar Pradesh. The expansion of the Tata Group’s hospitality chain across the country and the state is both a reflection of this transformation and a requirement of the present times.
He praised the Taj Palace for its impressive facilities and said that the hotel had benefited from provisions under the state’s Tourism Policy.
The hotel has 181 rooms and suites, including a grand Presidential Suite, as well as a 10,000-square-foot pillarless banquet hall.
CM Yogi said that UP-Japan Investment Meet was being organised in Delhi on August 18 and 19. He highlighted Japan’s achievements in technology and research and said that, for the first time in India, a state had succeeded in bringing together more than 200 foreign investors, industry leaders and CEOs at one platform.
He said the Japanese delegation had shown keen interest in investment opportunities in Uttar Pradesh in sectors including green hydrogen, modern technology, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics and automobiles.
Chief Minister announced that the Japanese delegation would be the first guests at Taj Palace Lucknow.
Chief Minister said such venues provide excellent facilities for national and international seminars, conferences, celebrations, weddings and public events. They also help create a new ecosystem in the hospitality sector.
He said hotels, hospitals, malls and institutions should not merely be viewed as individual investments, as they influence the larger ecosystem and generate employment opportunities.
Taj Palace Lucknow is expected to provide direct employment to around 600 people, while hundreds more will benefit indirectly through its supply chain.
CM Yogi said Uttar Pradesh has now transformed significantly. The state’s new identity has been strengthened by 17 domestic and 5 international airports.
He said Uttar Pradesh accounts for 60% of the country’s expressway network, has metro services operating in the highest number of cities in the state, and is home to the country’s first Rapid Rail as well as an inland waterway.
He also highlighted the improved security environment in the state and said Uttar Pradesh had established a distinct identity through development across sectors, including hospitality.
Through ODOP, Uttar Pradesh is now exporting goods worth around ₹2 lakh crore, creating employment opportunities for large numbers of people.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat, Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh is firmly aligned with this vision and has prepared short-, medium- and long-term plans for development.
He said the state aims to establish itself as a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2029-30.
“When India celebrates the centenary of its Independence, a developed Uttar Pradesh within a developed India will also need world-class hospitality centres,” he said.
CM Yogi said UNESCO has recognised Lucknow as a “Creative City of Gastronomy”, acknowledging the city’s rich culinary traditions.
He urged Taj Group officials to give greater importance to local cuisine and traditions wherever they establish their presence.
He referred to Lucknow’s famous Lajeez Gali and praised the hotel’s standardised hygienic kitchen. He also mentioned sattu traditionally carried in a gamcha by people from Ballia and called for greater promotion of eastern Uttar Pradesh’s bati-chokha and sattu, along with the cuisine of Awadh.
He also highlighted the considerable potential of millets.
Chief Minister said that people should not live only in the present but must also plan for the future.
“If we connect the skills of our youth with skilling opportunities, the speed of double-engine government will take Uttar Pradesh to a position where, along with its unlimited potential, it will establish itself as a state leading India’s economic growth,” he said.
He added that in nine years, Uttar Pradesh had moved from bottom three to the top three in several development parameters.
Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) MD Puneet Chhatwal welcomed the guests.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh, Cooperation Minister JPS Rathore, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Seth, former Maharashtra Minister Kripashankar Singh, Taj Palace Lucknow MD Anil Singh, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
