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New draft policy in preparation: Invest UP set for reboot, with speed and greater transparency
Officials drafting the policy have recommended faster clearances, direct industry representation in decision-making, and national-level outreach through new offices.
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The Uttar Pradesh government is preparing a new draft policy to restructure Invest UP, the state’s key investment promotion agency, in the wake of corruption allegations against its former CEO. The proposed policy aims to streamline approvals, increase transparency, and include greater participation from industry leaders.
Officials drafting the policy have recommended faster clearances, direct industry representation in decision-making, and national-level outreach through new offices.
“The new draft policy for Invest UP is being framed. It will be more investor friendly,” said Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’, cabinet minister for industrial development. “There will be time-bound approval of proposals and participation of industrialists in the Governing Board of Invest UP,” he added.
He further informed that national offices are being proposed in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru to strengthen investor engagement.
“Provisional approval within 15 days of self-certification is being proposed in the new draft policy,” a senior official said. To address delays caused by last-minute queries, a grievance resolution mechanism will also be introduced to track approval timelines.
The proposed system is expected to reduce procedural hurdles that often slow down large-scale investment projects.
In response to allegations that tarnished the image of Invest UP, the agency has initiated steps to improve transparency, particularly in the land allotment process. It has sought updated data from various industrial authorities—UPSIDA, NOIDA, YEIDA, UPEIDA, GIDA, and SIDA—on vacant and allotted plots, ongoing industrial projects, and land-related details.
A comprehensive database of industrial land across the state is being created to provide clarity to investors and reduce the scope for irregularities, said officials.
Before signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), investors will be shown specific industrial zones aligned with their needs. These zones will include pre-acquired, dispute-free land with basic infrastructure. A digital land bank, equipped with GIS mapping, is also being developed to provide real-time location-based options and streamline the allotment process.
To bring real-time industry inputs into the agency’s governance, the state is planning to appoint prominent entrepreneurs and investors to Invest UP’s Governing Board. These members will be nominated by the chief minister and will represent different regions of the state—Paschimanchal, Poorvanchal, Madhyanchal, and Bundelkhand.
Apart from national outreach offices, regional ‘industry chasing offices’ are also being proposed across four cities—Lucknow, Greater Noida, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur. These offices will act as regional facilitators for potential investors and assist in fast-tracking their projects, informed officials.
The policy also leaves room for setting up overseas offices in the future, drawing inspiration from states like Andhra Pradesh, which has announced plans for offices in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and the United States.
As part of internal restructuring, the appointment of a PCS-level officer as Joint CEO is on the cards. Vacancies at the level of general managers and assistant managers are also likely to be filled soon to improve efficiency.
The move to revamp Invest UP comes after its former CEO, Abhishek Prakash, was suspended following allegations of seeking a 5% commission to approve an ₹8,000 crore solar project from a Punjab-based investor. A probe into the matter is ongoing.
Uttar Pradesh is set to organise its third Global Investors’ Summit and fifth Ground Breaking Ceremony between November 2025 and February 2026. The state aims to secure ₹88 lakh crore in investment intentions (leads) and materialisations of approximately ₹33 lakh crore for ground-breaking in the next GIS.
