UP Pharma Conclave 1.0 inaugurated in Lucknow; Gov outlines investment and manufacturing roadmap

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday inaugurated the global congregation of investors and entrepreneurs, Uttar Pradesh Pharma Conclave 1.0, at Hotel Taj in Lucknow. Addressing the gathering, he said that Uttar Pradesh today is not just a state but has become a guarantee of trust for investors. He stated that the state government provides every investor with a complete guarantee of ‘Triple S – Safety, Stability and Speed’, and added that Uttar Pradesh has emerged as a role model of ‘Trust, Transformation and Timely Delivery’.

Speaking on governance, the Chief Minister said, “Rule of law is being implemented with full strength in Uttar Pradesh. No one has the liberty to play with the law. If anyone attempts to challenge the law, the law responds decisively within its framework and in the same language. This is the new Uttar Pradesh, where governance is not weak but decisive.”

Referring to the period before 2017, he said, “Uttar Pradesh had become synonymous with insecurity, anarchy and mistrust. Between 2012 and 2017, more than 900 riots took place in the state. Hardly any city was left where curfew was not imposed. People associated with industry, trade and healthcare had to pay ‘gunda tax’. Due to lack of security, even established industries were forced to leave the state and the youth were compelled to migrate. Leaving the land where one has grown up is painful for anyone, but insecurity made it inevitable. This was not the pain of a single entrepreneur but the collective suffering of every trader, every investor and every citizen.”

Highlighting the state’s zero-tolerance policy, CM Yogi said, “When Prime Minister Narendra Modi entrusted me with this responsibility, the biggest challenge was to strengthen law and order and instill confidence among citizens. The government adopted a zero-tolerance policy and made it clear that the law would apply equally to everyone, irrespective of influence. Today, the results are evident. Major festivals are being celebrated peacefully. There are no riots, no extortion, no gunda tax. Uttar Pradesh today has an environment of peace, security and stability, the strongest foundation for investment.”

The Chief Minister stated that Uttar Pradesh ranks number one in de-regulation and has emerged as a top achiever in Ease of Doing Business. He said that under decriminalisation, criminal provisions in 13 state Acts have been removed to enable industries to function without fear or obstruction. Entrepreneurs investing in the MSME sector have been granted exemption from inspections for 1,000 days, while processes in several other sectors have been simplified. He added that the government’s objective is not to intimidate industries but to facilitate them.

On investments, he said, “Before 2017, around 14,000 factories were operational in the state, which has now increased to over 30,000. This reflects that the double-engine government is working at double speed. UP has received investment proposals worth ₹50 lakh crore so far, out of which proposals worth ₹20 lakh crore have already reached the ground-breaking stage and production has begun in several projects. Continuous dialogue between the government and investors is being maintained.”

The Chief Minister said that Uttar Pradesh is working with a defined vision and policy framework to become a centre for pharmaceutical manufacturing and innovation. He stated that the Bulk Drug Pharma Park being developed in Lalitpur is being planned on a hub-and-spoke model with R&D facilities. Medical Device Parks, a US-FDA testing laboratory and logistics hubs are being developed in Gautam Buddha Nagar. He added that steps will be taken in the upcoming budget session in February to establish a pharma institute in Lucknow, and that new pharma parks will also be developed in Bareilly and other districts.

He further said that through the One District One Product initiative, Uttar Pradesh has presented a ‘Local to Global’ model. According to him, nearly 55 per cent of the country’s mobile manufacturing and 60 per cent of electronic components production takes place in Uttar Pradesh. He said that over the past nine years, the state has seen infrastructure expansion, with about 55 per cent of the country’s expressways located in Uttar Pradesh. He added that every district headquarters is connected by four-lane roads, and that the state has rail networks, metro services, the country’s first inland waterway and multiple airports. Currently, 16 airports are operational, including four international airports, while the Noida International Airport will be dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister.

Assuring investors, CM Yogi Adityanath said that the Uttar Pradesh government stands with them in every situation, with zero political interference, transparent policies and time-bound incentive disbursement. “Come, invest, produce and receive incentives on time, this is the Uttar Pradesh model,” he said, adding that the state is now a revenue-surplus state prepared to contribute to the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.

He said, “The Pharma Conclave is part of the resolution to establish Uttar Pradesh as a manufacturing and innovation hub in the pharma sector. The government is moving forward with full strength to promote AI, telemedicine, deep-tech, med-tech, health-tech and clinical research.”

Inviting investors to participate in the state’s development journey, the Chief Minister said that their suggestions would be adopted and implemented. He stated that trust is Uttar Pradesh’s strength and that the state is moving ahead with this confidence.

The programme was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’, MSME Minister Rakesh Sachan, Minister of State for Industrial Development Jaswant Saini, Rajya Sabha Member and Ramco Group Founder Ayodhya Rami Reddy, NITI Aayog Member Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, Sun Pharma Chairman Dilip Shanghvi, Zydus Lifesciences Chairman Pankaj Patel, Mankind Pharma Chairman Ramesh Juneja, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Chairman Satish Reddy, Torrent Pharma Vice Chairman Jinal Mehta, MSN Labs Chairman MNS Reddy, and senior officials including Sandeep Jain, V Krishna Mohan, Aditya Verma and Amitabh Dubey.

Inset

During the programme, a video message from Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda was shared. In the message, he said, “Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a key state, strengthening India’s global leadership in the pharma and healthcare sector. Under the leadership of PM Minister Narendra Modi, UP’s role is decisive in India’s transition towards an entrepreneurship- and innovation-driven economy.”

He said that the Bulk Drug Pharma Park in Lalitpur, the Medical Device Park in the Yamuna Expressway region and the State Pharmaceutical Policy 2023 are positioning Uttar Pradesh as a manufacturing hub. He added that connectivity, infrastructure, human resources and the investor environment are contributing to this progress, and that the policy vision of the Centre and the efforts of the Uttar Pradesh government are advancing the state towards becoming a global centre for pharma and biopharma manufacturing.

During the event, industry representatives presented the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance coffee table book The Alchemy of Cure to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The book documents India’s pharmaceutical journey and outlines the development of the sector through entrepreneurship and policy support.

Industry representatives also highlighted the need for regulatory standardisation, quality assurance, infrastructure upgradation and strengthening of academic and research institutions. They emphasised increasing investments in research and development, clinical trials and innovation, along with public-private partnerships and policy reforms. These initiatives were stated as measures to support Uttar Pradesh’s position in the pharma and life sciences sector and India’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.