Lucknow: Addressing a press conference on Monday on the Union Budget 2026-27, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the development journey undertaken by the country over the past 11 years is now clearly visible at the grassroots level.
He described the budget as a balanced document of reform, growth and fiscal discipline, which will not only contribute to building a New India but will also provide Uttar Pradesh with new opportunities for development, investment and employment. The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the Union Budget 2026-27 will enable Uttar Pradesh to play a leading role in achieving the goal of 'Viksit Bharat-2047'.
CM said, "The budget clearly reflects a balanced integration of reform, growth and fiscal discipline. By weaving these three elements together, the budget lays a strong foundation for building a powerful and self-reliant India while connecting future generations. It has been prepared keeping in mind the aspirations of farmers, youth, women and the poor. Naturally, it opens new avenues to meet the expectations and development needs of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the country."
He further added that one of the most significant and far-reaching provisions in the budget is the allocation of ₹10,000 crore for MSMEs. Uttar Pradesh leads the country in this sector and has the largest MSME base in India. Currently, nearly 96 lakh MSME units are active in the state, providing direct or indirect livelihoods to around 3 crore people.
He said this fund will be especially crucial for the ODOP (One District One Product) initiative, which Uttar Pradesh has successfully promoted by linking it with branding, design, packaging and exports. The budget will pave the way for MSMEs to adopt new technologies, skill training, modern packaging and access to global export markets.
The Chief Minister said, "The announcement of a massive infrastructure fund of ₹12.20 lakh crore will play a decisive role in accelerating infrastructure development in Uttar Pradesh, strengthening connectivity and energizing key sectors. Both the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors pass through the state, leading to the development of the country’s largest logistics hub within Uttar Pradesh. This will directly benefit industry, trade and employment generation in the state.
CM Yogi said that Uttar Pradesh will play a crucial role among the 20 inland waterways announced in the country. India’s first inland waterway between Varanasi and Haldia has already become operational and proposals have been prepared to extend waterways to Prayagraj and the Yamuna River. Strengthening cargo movement through the development of a ship repair and maintenance ecosystem, especially in Varanasi, will further reinforce the state’s inland waterway network, significantly reducing logistics costs and making transportation more efficient.
Talking about the rail connectivity, CM said, "Out of the seven high-speed rail corridors announced in the budget, two major corridors will pass through Uttar Pradesh. Under these projects, trains will run at speeds of 300 to 500 km per hour, providing the state with fast, modern and world-class rail connectivity. This will not only drastically reduce travel time but also boost industrial, tourism and commercial activities."
CM also said that the budget has further strengthened Uttar Pradesh’s potential in the biopharma sector. The process of developing a bulk drug park over nearly 1,200 acres in Lalitpur has been expedited, while work on a medical device park in the Yamuna Authority area of Gautam Buddha Nagar has reached an advanced stage. A provision of ₹10,000 crore for the biopharma sector will help establish India as a global pharma hub. The upcoming pharma conclave in Lucknow, with participation from stakeholders across the country, reflects UP’s readiness for investment, innovation and expansion in this sector.
While elaborating on data center investments, CM says, "Steps taken by the central government to develop India as a data center hub will give Uttar Pradesh a new direction. Data centers with investments exceeding ₹22,000 crore are being established in the state. So far, data centers with a capacity of about 700 MW have been set up and construction work is progressing rapidly. The funds earmarked for this sector will play a key role in establishing UP as a national data center hub."
He also added that the announcement of the 'Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj Yojana' will benefit Uttar Pradesh the most, as the state has the largest number of gram panchayats and a vast rural population. With over 105,000 revenue villages, UP has immense potential for effective implementation of this scheme. The initiative will help connect rural products to global marketing networks, ensuring better prices for artisans and rural entrepreneurs.
CM Yogi said that if the government ensures basic facilities and a robust security system, any religious or historical center can naturally become a world-class tourist destination. The unprecedented success of the Magh Mela has highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s immense tourism potential. Earlier, the Magh Mela was largely limited to Kalpvasis and attracted only a few lakh devotees, but this year it broke all previous records in terms of footfall.
About the state tourism, CM said that the Union Budget 2026-27 provides for the development of 15 archaeological sites across the country, two of which are in Uttar Pradesh – Sarnath (Varanasi) and Hastinapur (Meerut). Development of these historical and mythological sites will give fresh impetus to the state’s tourism sector. Other sites of historical and religious importance will also be developed on similar lines, further strengthening tourism and accelerating overall development.
CM says, "The announcement of semiconductor parks in the budget will directly benefit Uttar Pradesh. The state has already received several major investment proposals in this sector, and the budget announcement will help accelerate and implement them. This will establish UP as a strong center for semiconductor manufacturing."
To further strengthen tourism, a special nationwide campaign has been launched to promote tourist guides, under which 10,000 guides will receive training and skill upgrades. This will enhance facilities at tourist destinations and create new employment opportunities at the local level. The Chief Minister also mentioned that tourist site rankings have been released, based on which several centers in UP are being developed.
The Chief Minister said that Uttar Pradesh has established itself as a strong and leading state in electronic manufacturing. About 55 percent of the country’s total mobile manufacturing takes place in UP, while nearly 60 percent of electronic component manufacturing is now done in the state. Currently, an electronic manufacturing ecosystem worth around ₹2 lakh crore has taken shape in Uttar Pradesh, directly benefiting the state’s economy, investment climate and employment generation.
CM said about the infrastructure development that the budget includes an important announcement for it in the cities with populations exceeding 5 lakh. Uttar Pradesh has 762 urban local bodies, of which around 200 have populations of five lakh or more, including 17 municipal corporations. This initiative will help develop modern, well-planned and citizen-friendly urban infrastructure, significantly improving the quality of urban life.
CM also added that the budget has taken concrete and effective steps to enhance the capacity of district hospitals. Uttar Pradesh is steadily progressing towards the goal of ‘One District-One Medical College’. The state has around 98 district-level hospitals and strengthening their capacity will ensure better, accessible and quality healthcare services for citizens at the local level.
About medical facilities, CM said, "The budget ensures the establishment of emergency and trauma care centers in every district. Many precious lives are lost due to the absence of trauma care during the ‘golden hour’. This initiative will significantly reduce such preventable deaths and ensure timely life-saving treatment for citizens in emergencies."
CM also told that a new scheme called ‘Samarth’ has been announced to promote the sports industry and sports goods manufacturing. Under the ODOP scheme, Meerut has been developed as a sports goods manufacturing hub, while Agra and Kanpur are rapidly emerging as leading clusters. The construction of 'Major Dhyan Chand Sports University' in Meerut will be completed by April. Sports colleges will be set up at every regional headquarters and private sports academies will be encouraged to make UP a major hub for sports and sports-based industries.
The Chief Minister, referring to the 16th Finance Commission report, said that Uttar Pradesh receives the largest share of taxes devolved by the Centre to states. Given its large population, UP bears a major responsibility with a 17% share and naturally, the state will benefit from this.
He said that the budget also includes important provisions to promote medical tourism. Five All India Institutes of Ayurveda have been announced across the country, for which Uttar Pradesh has proposed Varanasi. As the birthplace of Lord Dhanvantari, Varanasi will gain national recognition in the field of Ayurveda. Significant improvements in health infrastructure over the past eight to nine years will establish UP as a new center of health tourism.
The Chief Minister said that in agriculture, the ‘Bharat Vistar’ AI platform will provide farmers with agricultural information and scheme benefits in their own language, ensuring better implementation. To empower women's self-help groups, 'She-Mart' has been launched, providing them with direct market access for their products.
CM Yogi said that Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a leading state in defense manufacturing. Six nodes are being developed under the Defense Corridor, with investment proposals worth ₹12,000-13,000 crore received so far. Many projects have already been implemented, generating employment for around 40,000 youth. He cited projects such as the BrahMos missile unit in Lucknow, Adani Ammunition in Kanpur, defense manufacturing units in Jhansi and rapid progress in drone manufacturing.
'PDA is just a pretext; the real agenda is Parivarwaad’: CM Yogi
Taking a sharp dig at political attacks made in the name of PDA, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that PDA is merely a pretext, while the real objective is 'Parivarwaad'. He questioned why those who talk about PDA today failed to care for the self-respect and dignity of the poor, youth, farmers and deprived sections when they were in power. He said, "Poverty and problems existed earlier as well, but discussions then revolved only around one’s own family. Today, PM Narendra Modi considers the entire nation as one family and works with the welfare of the poor, youth, women and farmers at the core. This budget reflects the New India and the New Uttar Pradesh, where there are roads and speed, investment and trust, identity and self-respect. Those without any vision or plan for the future are the ones indulging in such baseless rhetoric."
