Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took his state's investment pitch to Japan on Wednesday, addressing business leaders and investors at the Uttar Pradesh Investment Roadshow in Tokyo. Presenting the state as a transformed economic powerhouse, he made the case that nine years of consistent policy reform have positioned UP not just as India's most populous state, but as one of its most promising destinations for global capital.
At the heart of Adityanath's pitch was a simple but striking number: 250 million. That is the population of Uttar Pradesh, a figure that rivals several of the world's largest countries on its own. But the Chief Minister was equally emphatic about the demographic dividend embedded within that number. He noted that 56 per cent of the state's population is youth forming part of the active working force — making UP a reliable and scalable source of skilled manpower across virtually every sector.
"Skilled manpower is always available in any field. Today, affordable and quality manpower for every sector is available in Uttar Pradesh," he told the gathering, framing the state not merely as a manufacturing base but as a long-term partner for labour-intensive and technology-driven industries alike.
Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising claim of the roadshow came on the infrastructure front. Adityanath stated that Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for 95 per cent of India's expressway network and hosts the country's largest rail network — figures that, if accurate, underscore a dramatic transformation in the state's physical connectivity over the past decade.
On air connectivity, the Chief Minister pointed to the operationalisation of 16 domestic and four international airports in the last nine years. He also flagged that the Noida International Airport — billed as India's largest international airport — is set to become operational shortly, a development that could significantly enhance UP's appeal for logistics, trade, and multinational operations.
Adityanath extended a personal invitation to Japanese business leaders to visit the state and explore its private industrial park programme, positioning UP as a ready-to-deploy destination rather than a work-in-progress.
Beyond industry, the Chief Minister reinforced Uttar Pradesh's foundational strengths. He described the state as India's food basket — a title rooted in its vast agricultural output — and emphasised that it holds the largest water resources of any Indian state. These assets, he suggested, are not just agricultural advantages but strategic foundations for food processing industries, agri-tech investments, and water-intensive manufacturing sectors.
On the sidelines of the roadshow, Adityanath held a meeting with Kazuki Shimizu, Managing Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the Infrastructure Projects Business Unit at Mitsui & Co., accompanied by senior members of the Japanese conglomerate's team. The Chief Minister said he invited Mitsui & Co. to explore investment opportunities across renewable energy, ICT, semiconductors, and data centres — sectors that align with both UP's industrial expansion ambitions and Japan's global business interests.
He also discussed potential collaboration in infrastructure projects, logistics networks, and industrial investments aimed at strengthening UP's growth corridors and integrating the state more deeply into global supply chains.
Adityanath did not limit his remarks to economics alone. He invoked Uttar Pradesh's deep cultural and spiritual significance, noting that it is the birthplace of Lord Ram and a sacred land for Buddhism, with multiple sites tied to the life of the Buddha. For Japanese investors — given the strong Buddhist cultural ties between Japan and India — this was likely more than a rhetorical flourish. It positions UP as a destination with soft-power appeal alongside its hard infrastructure credentials.
The Tokyo visit, scheduled from February 25 to 26, is part of a broader push by the Uttar Pradesh government to attract foreign investment ahead of likely upcoming investor summits. Adityanath is scheduled to hold additional meetings and bilateral interactions during the trip, with the overarching goal of translating roadshow momentum into concrete commitments.
Whether Japanese investors take the bait remains to be seen — but the Chief Minister's message in Tokyo was clear: Uttar Pradesh is no longer content to be India's most populous state. It intends to be one of its most consequential economic ones too.
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