Uttar Pradesh, which is targetting a 10 per cent growth during the current 12th Plan, on Monday showcased 'Brand UP' before domestic and foreign investors.
Highlighting pro-industry steps taken by the incumbent Akhilesh Yadav-government, the state invited businesses to invest in various sectors in the state.
UP is one of the participants at 'Invest North 2013', the investment conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at New Delhi.
Leading a team of senior officials, UP Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner Alok Ranjan said UP had vast untapped potential and the state was making "sincere efforts" to improve the business environment.
"I would say the giant has woken up," Ranjan said in his address.
Huge consumer base, skilled workforce, largest production of several agricultural crops and basic inherent strengths were already present in UP, he said informing that the state was striving to achieve an industrial growth of 11.2 per cent.
He highlighted the comprehensive nature of incentives incorporated in the new Infrastructure and Industrial Investment Policy, besides food processing, information technology (IT), solar, sugar and poultry policies.
"We have strengthened Udyog Bandhu (industry interface), and IT-enabled systems are being further improved to ease the issuance of clearances and information dissemination along with grievance redress mechanism," Ranjan said.
Eight northern states, which includes UP, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, are participating in the conclave.
The two-day meet is being attended by 500 delegates, including Indian and foreign business associations and diplomats of Portugal, Hungary, Canada, Rwanda, Gambia, Italy, Germany, Poland, Britain, Lesotho, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh and many more.
