Looking east for billions in investment, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to pitch Uttar Pradesh as India’s next industrial powerhouse, with plans for a dedicated “Japan City” and “Singapore City” near Greater Noida and taking a high-speed ride on Japan’s futuristic Maglev train to seal the deal.
Leading a delegation of top officials, the chief minister will first head to Singapore on the evening of February 22 and stay there for three days. On February 24, he will leave for Japan and will return on the night of February 27, officials said.
As preparations for the visit are being wrapped up, the Infrastructure & Industrial Development Department has been given the key responsibility of drafting “attractive proposals” to be put forth by the chief minister to top government functionaries of Japan and Singapore.
“The proposals aim to seek big investments and trade presence of the two countries in Uttar Pradesh. Among these proposals, include earmarking 500 acres of land each for developing Japanese and Singapore industrial cities in Sector 5A and Sector 7 of Greater Noida, respectively, under Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YIEDA), near Delhi,” said a senior official involved in the planning of CM’s itinerary.
According to sources, the Industry Department had earlier asked YEIDA to identify land and draft a proposal for developing a city in the pattern of urban areas developed in Japan and Singapore.
In a letter to the Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner, issued on February 18, the YEIDA said that land has been identified within the Authority’s notified area for the two proposed cities.
“The plan related to land acquisition for both cities has been prepared. For ‘Japan City’, 500 acres have been proposed in Sector 5A, Greater Noida. Similarly, 500 acres have been proposed in Sector 7, Greater Noida, for ‘Singapore City’. Land acquisition has been proposed for both projects. The development of these sectors is proposed to be carried out under the EPC – Engineering, Procurement and Construction- mode,” said a senior official.
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The letter further stated that under the YEIDA’s masterplan, both Sector 5A and Sector 7 are designated as multipurpose industrial areas. “In these sectors, a minimum of 70 per cent land use has been earmarked for industrial purposes. Additionally, residential use has been capped at a maximum of 12 per cent, commercial use at a maximum of 13 per cent, and institutional facilities at a minimum of 5 per cent,” the letter stated, adding that these sectors could be developed as “integrated industrial cities”.
A senior officer told The Indian Express that though the exact framework about what all establishments would be there in the two cities, the proposal to be placed before the Japanese and Singaporean governments suggests developing the cities as per their vision and plan.
CM to take a ride on Japan’s ‘levitating train’
During his Japan trip, the chief minister is scheduled to travel on Japan’s Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) train, which floats above the tracks using magnetic force.
“The Chief Minister will undertake a 100-km trial journey on the high-speed train, covering 50 km each way,” the official said, adding the visit is also aimed at finding out possibilities of expanding modern transportation infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh.
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The chief minister’s proposed tour is also being viewed in the broader context of India-Japan cooperation. “Collaboration in areas such as high-speed rail, smart mobility, and sustainable transportation is expected to open new avenues for strengthening transport networks in Uttar Pradesh and across India,” the government stated.
In this year’s Union Budget, the Centre had proposed building seven high-speed rail corridors between cities as growth connectors. Among the seven, two will be linked to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh – Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri.
The CM’s visit comes less than a year after a delegation led by CM’s Adviser Awanish Kumar Awasthi and comprising Invest UP CEO Vijay Kiran Anand and Director, UPNEDA, Inderjit Singh had visited Japan last July. The delegation held interactions focusing on collaborations in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and emerging technologies.
During the July visit, and later during its interaction in October, the delegation held discussions with leading pharmaceutical companies and the pharma association representatives over potential collaborations in novel drug development, diagnostics, medical devices, and clinical research.
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The delegation had presented UP government’s initiatives like Pharma and Medical Device Park, Semiconductor Policy, and the FDI & FCI Policy of 2023.
