Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath ji, Ministers of UP Government, President of UP BJP Bhupendra Chaudhary ji, all the friends from the industry, other dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen.

I heartily congratulate all the traders, investors, entrepreneurs, and young friends who have come to the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show. I am happy that more than 2200 exhibitors are showcasing their products and services here. This time, the country partner for the trade show is Russia. This means that at this trade show, we are further strengthening a time-tested partnership. I congratulate Chief Minister Yogi Ji, all other government colleagues, and stakeholders for organizing this event.

Friends, 

Today is the birth anniversary of our guide Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay ji. Deendayal ji showed us the path of Antyodaya. Antyodaya means the rise of the one who is at the very end. Development should reach the poorest of the poor and all discrimination should end, this is Antyodaya and it is in Antyodaya that the strength of social justice lies. And today, India is offering this model of development to the world.

Friends, 

I will give you an example. Today, our fintech sector is being widely discussed around the world. The most significant aspect of this fintech sector is that it has significantly empowered and promoted inclusive development. India has created such open platforms which take everyone along. UPI, Aadhaar, Digi Locker, ONDC, these are providing opportunity to everyone. That means Platform for All, Progress for All. Today its effect is visible everywhere in India. The person shopping in the mall also uses UPI, and the person selling tea on the road also uses UPI. Formal credit, which was once available only to big companies, now reaches street vendors through PM Svanidhi.

Friends, 

One such is Government e-Market Place, i.e. GeM. There was a time, if the government had to sell any goods, it was in the hands of big players, it was in their control in a way. But today, around 25 lakh sellers and service providers are connected to the GeM portal and are supplying to the government. These are small traders, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, who, as per the requirement of the Government of India, are selling their goods directly to the Government of India and the Government of India is purchasing them. You will be surprised to know that till now the Government of India has purchased goods or services worth Rs 15 lakh crore through GeM. Goods worth approximately Rs 7 lakh crore have been purchased from our MSMEs small industries on this portal. This was impossible to even imagine during previous governments, but today even small shopkeepers in remote corners of the country are selling their goods on the GeM portal. And this is Antyodaya in the true sense, this is the foundation of development.

Friends, 

Today, India is moving towards its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. Despite the disruptions and uncertainty taking place in the world, India's growth is impressive. Disruptions do not distract us, but we find new directions from within those circumstances, we find opportunities for a new direction. Therefore, amidst these disruptions, today India is strengthening the foundation for the coming decades. And in this too, our resolve, our mantra is, self-reliant India. There can be no greater helplessness than being dependent on others. In this changing world, the more a country depends on others, the more compromised its growth will be. And therefore, it is no longer acceptable for a country like India to depend on anyone, hence India will have to be made self-reliant. Every product we can make in India, we must make it in India. Today, I see a large number of entrepreneurs, traders, and entrepreneurs sitting here in front of me. You are huge stakeholders in this self-reliant India campaign. I urge you today to develop your business model in a way that strengthens self-reliant India.

Friends, 

You all know how much emphasis the government is placing on Make in India and manufacturing. We want to manufacture everything from chips to ships in India. And that is why we are continuously working for your Ease of Doing Business. The government has eliminated more than 40 thousand compliances. The government has decriminalized hundreds of rules that used to lead to lawsuits against you for even minor mistakes in business. The government is walking shoulder to shoulder with you.

But friends, 

I also have some expectations, which I will definitely share with you. Whatever you are manufacturing, it should be of the best quality, the best of the best. Today, the countrymen have this in mind that the quality of indigenous products should continuously improve, they should be user friendly and should be useful for a long time. Therefore, there should be no compromise on quality. Today, every citizen of the country is connecting with Swadeshi, wanting to buy Swadeshi, proudly saying, "This is Swadeshi." we are experiencing this sentiment everywhere today. Our traders must also adopt this mantra. Whatever is available in India must be given priority.

Friends, 

A crucial topic is research. We have to increase investment in research; we have to increase it many times. Without innovation the world comes to a standstill, business comes to a standstill, life comes to a standstill. The government has taken necessary steps to address this. Now, everyone must step forward to encourage private investment in research. This is the need of the hour. We must create an entire ecosystem of indigenous research, indigenous design, and development.

Friends, 

Our Uttar Pradesh is also full of amazing potential for investment. The connectivity revolution that has taken place in Uttar Pradesh over the past few years has significantly reduced logistics costs. Uttar Pradesh has become the state with the maximum number of expressways in the country. Uttar Pradesh is the state with the highest number of international airports in the country; it is the hub of two major dedicated freight corridors of the country. Uttar Pradesh is also number one in heritage tourism. Campaigns like Namami Gange have put Uttar Pradesh on the cruise tourism map. The "One District, One Product" initiative has brought products from several districts of Uttar Pradesh to the international market. And I have to meet foreign guests, so these days I don't have to think too much about what to give to anyone. Our team consults the "One District, One Product" catalogue, and I simply give them to people around the world.

Friends, 

UP is also making new records in manufacturing. For example, in the electronics and mobile manufacturing sector, India has become the second largest producer in the world in the last decade. Uttar Pradesh plays a significant role in this. Today, out of all the mobile phones manufactured in India, about 55 percent are manufactured here in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh will now strengthen India's self-reliance in the semiconductor sector as well. Work is about to begin on a large semiconductor facility just a few kilometres away.

Friends, 

Another example is from the defence sector. Our forces want swadeshi, and want to reduce dependence on others. Therefore, we are developing a vibrant defence sector in India itself. We are creating an ecosystem where every component bears the "Made in India" label. And Uttar Pradesh is playing a major role in this. Very soon, the production of AK 203 rifles is going to start from the factory built in collaboration with Russia. A defence corridor is also being constructed in UP. In which the production of many weapons including Brahmos missiles has already started. I would appeal to all of you, invest in UP, manufacture in UP. There is a strong network of lakhs of MSMEs here, and it is continuously growing. Harness their potential and manufacture a complete product here. The Uttar Pradesh government and the Government of India are with you, providing every support for this.

Friends, 

Today, India stands with its industry, its traders, its citizens, with the commitment to Reform, Perform, Transform. Just three days ago, the Next Generation GST reforms have been implemented. These GST changes are structural reforms that will give India's growth story new wings. These reforms will simplify GST registration, reduce tax disputes, and expedite refunds for MSMEs. Every sector will benefit from this. All of you have experienced all three situations: before GST, after GST, and now the third stage, the Next Generation GST reforms. I would like to share with you all how big a difference has come through some examples. I am talking about before 2014, that is, before you gave me responsibility. Before 2014, there were so many taxes, a kind of tax tangle, and because of that, business costs and family budgets were never balanced; they were difficult to control. On a shirt worth Rs 1000, I am talking about before 2014, if you have an old bill lying with you then take it out, before 2014, a shirt worth Rs 1000 used to be taxed at Rs 170, 170 Rupees. When we introduced GST in 2017, after its introduction, the GST rate was reduced from Rs 170 to Rs 50. That is, earlier the tax on a shirt worth Rs 1000 was Rs 170, when we introduced GST in 2017, it became Rs 50. And now after the rates implemented on 22nd September, only Rs 35 will have to be paid as tax on the same shirt worth Rs 1000.

Friends, 

In 2014, if someone spent Rs 100 on toothpaste, shampoo, hair oil, shaving cream, etc., they had to pay Rs 31 in tax, 31 rupees per 100 rupees. This means a bill of Rs 100 would come to Rs 131. I'm talking about this period before 2014. When GST was introduced in 2017, the same item costing Rs 100 became Rs 118, from Rs 131 to Rs 118. This means a direct saving of Rs 13 on every Rs 100 bill. Now, in the next generation of GST, i.e. the GST reform that has happened this time, these items cost Rs 5 per Rs 100, becoming Rs 105. From Rs 131 to Rs 105. This means a direct saving of Rs 26 per Rs 100 for the common citizen compared to before 2014, a saving of Rs 26 per Rs 100. From this example you can understand how much an average family is saving every month. If a family were to calculate their annual expenses for whatever needs they had, assuming they purchased goods worth Rs 1 lakh in 2014, if they had made purchases worth around Rs 1 lakh before 2014, they would have had to pay approximately Rs 25,000 in taxes. If he purchased goods worth Rs 1 lakh in a year, the tax was Rs 25,000 before 2014, before I came. These days, brave people make these statements, please tell them. But now after the next generation GST, the annual tax on the same family has come down from just Rs 25,000 to around Rs 5,000-6,000. Rs 25000 to 5000, because now there is only five percent GST on most of the essential items.

Friends, 

Tractors play a major role in our village economy. Before 2014, one had to pay more than seventy thousand rupees in tax for purchasing a tractor. This was seventy thousand rupees before 2014, now only thirty thousand rupees tax is being levied on the same tractor. This means that the farmer is directly saving more than forty thousand rupees on one tractor. Similarly, three-wheelers are a major source of employment for the poor. Before the year 2014, a tax of about fifty-five thousand rupees was levied on a three-wheeler, a tax of Rs 55,000 was levied on a three-wheeler. Now the GST on the same three-wheeler has come down to around 35 thousand, which means there has been a direct saving of 20 thousand rupees. Similarly, due to the lower GST, scooters have become cheaper by around 8,000 rupees, and motorcycles by around 9,000 rupees, compared to 2014. This means savings have been made for everyone, from the poor, the neo-middle class, and the middle class.

But friends, 

Despite this, some political parties are trying to mislead the people of the country. Congress and its allies are lying to the public to hide the failures of the government they ran before 2014. The truth is that during the Congress governments, tax evasion was rampant and even the looted money was plundered. The common citizen of the country was being squeezed by the burden of taxes. It is our government which has reduced taxes on a large scale and reduced inflation. We have increased the income of the people of this country and also increased their savings. When their government was in power in 2014, income tax exemption was for the income up to Rs 2 lakh, but only Rs 2 lakh. Today, by making income of Rs 12 lakh tax free and the new GST reform, the people of the country are going to save Rs 2.5 lakh crore this year. Rs 2.5 lakh crore will be saved in the pockets of the countrymen. And that is why the country is celebrating GST with pride today. The GST savings festival is being celebrated. And I want to tell you that we are not going to stop here. In 2017, we introduced GST, working to strengthen the economy. And bring it again in 2025, then we will strengthen the economy and as the economy strengthens, the tax burden will reduce. With the blessings of our countrymen, the process of GST reforms will continue.

Friends, 

Today India has strong will-power for reforms, we have democratic and political stability, and also policy predictability. Most importantly, India has a very large young and skilled workforce and a dynamic young consumer base. All these things are not present together in any region of the world, that is, in one place, in any country of the world. India possesses everything. For any investor or company in the world looking to accelerate their growth, investing in India is the most attractive option. Therefore, investing in India, in Uttar Pradesh, is a win-win situation for you. Together, our efforts will build a developed India and a developed Uttar Pradesh. Once again, I wish you all the best for the International Trade Show. Thank you very much.

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MJPS/VJ/SS