Yogi Adityanath’s Trillion-Dollar Push

• CM Yogi Adityanath targets making UP a $1-trillion economy by 2029.
• Formed a 15-member Economic Advisory Group (EAG) on 18 June 2025.
• Members include Mohandas Pai, Manish Sabharwal, Jayant Patil, Vineet Rai, Amit Kalyani, among others.

After eight years of being branded “Bulldozer Baba” for his crackdown on illegal constructions and criminal networks, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is turning his focus to the economy. In his second term, he has unveiled a bold ambition: transforming Uttar Pradesh into a trillion-dollar economy by 2029.

To spearhead this drive, his government has constituted a 15-member Economic Advisory Group (EAG), featuring top industrialists, economists, and technocrats. The EAG, set up on 18 June 2025, is tasked with identifying sectoral challenges, suggesting strategic options, and presenting action plans directly to the CM.

Who’s in the Economic Advisory Group?

The line-up reflects diversity across sectors:

• Mohandas Pai, former Infosys CFO, now with Aarin Capital.
• Manish Sabharwal, Vice-Chairman of TeamLease Services.
• Jayant Patil, Senior EVP, L&T Defence Business.
• Vineet Rai, Chairman, Aavishkaar Group (impact investing, agriculture).
• S.M. Sundaresan, L&T Semiconductor Technologies.
• Vishwaprasad Alva, Founder, Skanray Technologies (medical tech).
• Amit Kalyani, Vice-Chairman & MD, Bharat Forge (defence).
• Rajendra Kumar Mishra, Smart Cities expert.
• Anil Bhardwaj, General Secretary, FISME.
• Coordinator: Prof. Nachiketa Tiwari, IIT Kanpur.

The group will meet quarterly with the CM and maintain direct contact with bureaucrats to ensure follow-up and implementation.

Strategy: From Defence Corridors to Temple Economy

The EAG’s focus areas mirror UP’s developmental thrust:

• Defence Corridor: Linking Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, and Chitrakoot, where inputs from Patil and Kalyani will be crucial.
• Smart Cities: Mishra’s expertise in urban infrastructure is aligned with UP’s smart city projects.
• Tourism & MSME: Bhardwaj proposed a “temple economy” in Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, and Mathura by promoting local products to pilgrims.
• Education & Services: Mohandas Pai flagged the need to develop UP’s service sector to retain talent within the state instead of losing professionals to Bengaluru.
• Agriculture & Semiconductors: Vineet Rai and Sundaresan bring domain knowledge in critical growth sectors.

The government has already conducted six sectoral meetings on tourism, agriculture, health, and MSMEs, reflecting speed in execution.

Political Context and Deadlines

In February 2025, Yogi declared in the Assembly that UP would become a trillion-dollar economy by 2029, dismissing Opposition doubts. He claimed UP, once branded a “BIMARU” state, is now India’s second-largest economy.

The CM asserted:

“Uttar Pradesh will not only become a trillion-dollar economy by 2029, but it will also become the largest economy in the country.”

This marks the first time he has given a specific timeline for the target, making the EAG central to his political and economic narrative ahead of 2029.

Analysis: Why It Matters

Yogi’s move to rope in private sector experts outside BJP’s fold signals a shift towards independent, professional advice, unusual in India’s political ecosystem. By ensuring that the EAG’s tenure aligns with the government’s, he has tied policy-making with accountability.

If implemented effectively, the EAG could drive reforms in defence manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, and services, sectors that hold the key to UP’s growth story. However, the challenge lies in execution, bureaucratic inertia, and political opposition.

For now, the CM’s economic pivot suggests that the image of “Bulldozer Baba” may soon be joined by “Builder Baba”—a leader seeking not just to raze the illegal, but to build the future.