Semiconductor unit and Meerut metro mark new phase of UP’s development drive

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of north India’s first semiconductor manufacturing unit in Gautam Buddh Nagar and inaugurate the Namo Bharat rapid rail corridor along with the Meerut Metro next week, marking major milestones in the state’s infrastructure expansion.

Speaking in the Legislative Council during the Budget Session, Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh now enjoys “excellent connectivity by inwater, land and air” , underlining the significance of the prime minister’s upcoming engagements in the state.

The chief minister said the foundation stone of the semiconductor manufacturing unit in Gautam Buddh Nagar will be laid on February 21 , describing it as a crucial step toward transforming Uttar Pradesh into a hub for high-technology manufacturing .

On February 22 , Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the remaining stretches of the 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor , connecting Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi with Modipuram in Meerut. Alongside this, the 23-km Meerut Metro corridor with 13 stations will also be launched.

According to officials, the remaining sections include a 5-km stretch between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and a 21-km stretch from Meerut South to Modipuram , with key stations such as Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Muradnagar, Modinagar South, Modinagar North and Meerut South forming the backbone of the regional rapid transit system linking major residential, commercial and industrial clusters. Recalling the situation before 2017, Adityanath said travel from Meerut to Delhi earlier took nearly three hours and was often unsafe, but can now be completed in about 45 minutes via the 12-lane highway , adding that the rapid rail will further streamline movement and that law and order has significantly improved .

Highlighting the scale of infrastructure development, Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh accounts for 55 per cent of the country’s total expressway network and has the largest railway network in India . The state currently has 22 expressways , of which seven are operational, five are under construction and work on 10 others is underway.

On inland waterways, the chief minister said the Varanasi-Haldia National Waterway (National Waterway-1) has been developed, with terminals at Ramnagar, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Ghazipur upgraded to boost cargo movement and strengthen logistics infrastructure across eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Adityanath also pointed to the rapid expansion of aviation infrastructure in the state. “When our government assumed office, only two airports were fully operational and two were partially functional. Today, Uttar Pradesh has 16 airports, including four international airports , while the fifth international airport at Jewar is ready,” he said.

He added that preparations are underway to move the Jewar project forward this month with the prime minister’s participation. The country’s first Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hub is also being established at Jewar, reinforcing Uttar Pradesh’s emergence as a major connectivity and logistics hub .