Uttar Pradesh Announces Nine Mega Industrial Zones Under SVPEIZ, Names Agra Among Priority Hubs

What the Government Announced

The Uttar Pradesh government plans to develop nine mega industrial zones to integrate skill development, employment, industry, and entrepreneurship. UP Principal Secretary for MSME and Export Promotion Shashi Bhushan Lal Sushil said the state has witnessed unprecedented growth in investment and industrial activity since 2017. "With rapid expansion of industrial infrastructure, increasing domestic and global investment, and evolving technological requirements, the demand for skilled workforce is expected to rise in the future."

Hub-and-Spoke Model Across Nine Zones

The project will adopt a hub-and-spoke model, with each zone designed around the region's industrial strengths, resource availability and investment potential. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be constituted for each hub to oversee planning and implementation.

The government will divide UP into nine hub-and-spoke zones. These include Gautam Buddh Nagar; Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Baghpat and Bulandshahr; Moradabad and Bareilly divisions; Agra and Aligarh divisions; Lucknow and Ayodhya divisions; Kanpur and Prayagraj divisions; Chitrakoot, Jhansi and Vindhyachal divisions; Varanasi and Azamgarh divisions; and Gorakhpur, Basti and Devipatan divisions.

Agra's Role in the Scheme

Agra is designated as a hub city within the SVPEIZ framework, anchoring the Agra-Aligarh division. The Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) in Agra is strategically located across 1,058 acres along the city's Inner Ring Road. This prime location ensures seamless connectivity to significant junctions, including Delhi NCR and the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, making it an ideal industrial hub.

The Agra IMC will be focused on promoting non-polluting industries. The segments traditionally associated with the city like leather and footwear will also be promoted but with the condition that green technologies are adopted.

Integrated Ecosystem Features

Each SVPEIZ centre will function as a one-stop industrial, skill and employment ecosystem, offering skill development institutes, industrial plots, plug-and-play industrial sheds, common facility centres, employment assistance, entrepreneurship support, digital literacy, foreign language training and modern business services.

The project also includes ready-to-use industrial infrastructure with power, water, roads and other essential utilities, enabling industries to begin operations quickly while creating large-scale employment opportunities for local youth.

Implementation Across Multiple Agencies

The 16 centres will include five centres under the MSME Department, five by the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA), two by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), two by the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), and one each by the Greater Noida Authority and the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA).

Strategic Vision Behind the Initiative

In tandem with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's vision, the SVPEIZ model is aimed at preparing the youth with industry-relevant skills and connecting them directly with employment opportunities. The Yogi Adityanath government said the SVPEIZ initiative is intended not merely as an industrial estate but as an integrated centre for investment, innovation, skill development, entrepreneurship and employment, positioning Uttar Pradesh as a leading manufacturing and job creation hub in India.

Relation to Existing AKIC Infrastructure

The SVPEIZ initiative is distinct from but complementary to the existing Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) framework. The Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) initiative took a significant step forward with the signing of the State Support Agreement (SSA) and Shareholder Agreement (SHA) between the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC), the Government of Uttar Pradesh, and the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA). These agreements underscore the Government of India's commitment to fostering industrial growth and developing world-class infrastructure, starting with the Integrated Manufacturing Clusters (IMC) in Agra and Prayagraj. The Agra IMC under AKIC remains a separate federal project focused on manufacturing infrastructure, while SVPEIZ is a state-level initiative linking skill development, employment and entrepreneurship across nine zones.