‘Branding must to make UP trillion $ economy’
Micro, small industries backbone of economy
LUCKNOW : President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said Uttar Pradesh has the potential of becoming a trillion dollar economy in the near future provided it not only gives a push to production but also does proper branding of its products.
In the ‘Ground Breaking Ceremony’ on July 29 in Lucknow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said UP will not take much time in becoming a one trillion dollar economy at the present speed of its progress.
Inaugurating the ‘One District, One Product (ODOP)’ summit’ here, the President said micro and small industries were the backbone of the country’s economy and engine of inclusive growth, absorbing the largest workforce after the agriculture sector.
The specialty of micro and small industries, he said, was that they created job opportunities largely in rural and backward areas and had the potential for maximum utilization of demographic dividend. Such industries, he said, could play an important role in the development of Uttar Pradesh.
The UP government’s ‘One District, One Product’ programme, he hoped, would further strengthen the economy by generating a large number of job opportunities, thus arresting the migration of the jobless youth from the state.
“UP, however, needs to properly brand its products to attract national and international consumers to them,” he said. He suggested holding of exhibitions of products in cities and at the forthcoming Kumbh in Allahabad next year. He said many products could be made of use for the international market by encouraging local skills with ‘think global, act global’ approach.
Remembering former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Kovind said ‘Atalji’ often said UP was the best because it was full of talents and possibilities. “The state has the Taj Mahal and several rivers, besides boasting of having the country’s largest rail network, which can help it become the country’s biggest economy,” the President said. He said UP possessed all the tools of development and the need was for making use of those tools.
Kovind said progress of India was not possible without the progress of UP, “with only five countries having population bigger than that of the state.”
Earlier, governor Ram Naik, in his address, said the UP government’s ‘One District, One Product’ programme would not only check the flight of the jobless youth to other states, but would also open the gate for the homecoming of those who had left the state for lack of employment.
This programme, Naik said, was a revolutionary beginning which could make Uttar Pradesh a role model for other states. He said the ODOP programme would also help UP realize its potential and strength.