Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said BrahMos missiles manufactured in a now-transformed Uttar Pradesh were giving “sleepless” nights to Pakistan, while the AK-203 assault rifle manufactured in Amethi has become a weapon against “Naxalites and terrorists.”
“This is the biggest symbol of change,” he said, recalling how India had effectively used BrahMos missiles during Operation Sindoor.
He also said the state, once notorious for manufacturing illegal country-made pistols (known as ‘kattas’ in local parlance), was now home to the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor with six nodes in Jhansi, Chitrakoot, Lucknow, Agra, Aligarh and Kanpur.
Addressing the fourth edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UPITS) at the India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida, Shah also said Uttar Pradesh had transformed from a state once marked by mafia rule and poor law and order into an investment destination, crediting the “double-engine government” led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath for the change.
The state’s transformation had enabled it to set an ambitious target of becoming a $1 trillion economy, he added.
{{/usCountry}}The state’s transformation had enabled it to set an ambitious target of becoming a $1 trillion economy, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Recalling the state’s industrial investment conference in 2013, Shah said it had to be organised in Delhi as investors were unwilling to travel to Lucknow because of the law-and-order situation.
“Today, Uttar Pradesh is emerging as an investment destination free from fear,” he said, attributing the change to the state government’s efforts to eliminate mafia networks and improve governance.
“There was once an industry of crime operating in Uttar Pradesh, cottage industries of vehicle theft had come up in city after city, and illegal country-made pistols were being manufactured. But today, in that same Uttar Pradesh, a defence corridor is being developed in place of the country-made pistol industry, vehicle manufacturing is taking the place of vehicle theft, and a medical device park is being developed in place of chain snatching,” he said.
He also said Modi had announced the Make in India initiative 12 years ago on September 25, and described UPITS as a platform to advance the initiative by promoting manufacturing, design and innovation.
Shah, who is also the Union cooperation minister, rejected critics’ claims about the state of the economy and asserted that India has not only maintained but “strengthened” its economic growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership despite global upheavals.
“Amid such an atmosphere of upheaval and unrest across the world, despite numerous hurdles, India has maintained its growth rate. Not only has it maintained it, but it has taken it forward,” he said.
He described those who dispute the country’s growth figures as “vakradrashtas” -- people with a distorted outlook.
He said India recorded 7.8% in the last quarter and remained the fastest-growing among major economies.
“Investment is coming into these areas for the manufacture of defence equipment,” he said.
“The country’s defence production has now crossed approximately ₹1.78 lakh crore, and defence product exports have increased 56 times compared to 2013-14. Today, India’s defence products are being exported to around 80 countries, with Uttar Pradesh also making a significant contribution,” Shah said.
Shah said One District One Product (ODOP) has played an important role in increasing employment for youth. By promoting traditional industries and handicrafts, markets have opened for local products, he added.
Youth, who once migrated to other states for employment, are now finding employment and entrepreneurship within UP, he said.
He said the President attended the first edition, the vice-president the second, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi the third one, adding that he was pleased to inaugurate the fourth edition.
“More than five lakh people participated in the 2025 Trade Show and more than 2,400 MoUs were signed. This year’s event will break all previous records,” Shah said, congratulating CM Yogi and the state government for organising the show.
Shah also remembered Deendayal Upadhyay’s contribution, saying September 25 marked his 110th birth anniversary.
“Deendayal ji was the first person after Independence to put forward the concept of free trade, free agriculture and a free-trade, free-agriculture economic policy,” he said, adding that the concept later became a basis for development under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Modi.
At UPITS 2026, Shah and Yogi also inspected exhibition stalls showcasing handicrafts, MSME products and industrial displays, and launched the ODOC portal.