Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has emphasized the need to organize Swadeshi fairs across districts with the support of the MSME department. He announced that ahead of Diwali, each district will host a week-long fair showcasing ODOP and local products from October 10 to 18.
The Chief Minister said the Swadeshi fairs will boost local entrepreneurs and traders while discouraging the purchase of foreign goods. Citing an example, he noted that before 2017, Chinese decorative lights dominated the market, but today people increasingly prefer clay lamps. In 2017, Ayodhya could not supply 51,000 lamps for Deepotsav, which had to be brought in from other districts. By contrast, last year every lamp used for the festival was produced in Ayodhya itself. This year too, record numbers of lamps made from clay and cow dung will be lit.
Calling the lamp a symbol of India’s Swadeshi model, CM Yogi urged every household to light one during Diwali. He was addressing a state-level workshop on the theme of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Swadeshi Sankalp’ on Tuesday.
CM Yogi said that from September 25 to 29, UPITS will be organized in Greater Noida. On the 25th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate its third edition at 9:30 AM. “This is the best model of Swadeshi and self-reliance. Products made within UP will not only be showcased, but will also get a bigger platform. Traders from across the country as well as 500 foreign traders are coming to purchase them,” the CM said.
In the run-up to UPITS, hotels across Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Yamuna Authority, and nearby areas are witnessing heavy demand. Last year, the event recorded sales of Rs 2,200 crore in just four days. This successful platform has given UP’s artisans, entrepreneurs, and craftsmen significant exposure. The CM urged everyone to visit UPITS for at least a day, saying it is where the true strength of Uttar Pradesh can be experienced.
The CM said Swadeshi is going to be part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign. This is a campaign to realize the vision of a Viksit Bharat and to strengthen its foundation. “Swadeshi is not just a slogan and is not limited to khadi clothes. Under the BJP-led government, the country is manufacturing everything from needles to cargo ships and from fountain pens to airplanes. PM Modi has given the vision of Swadeshi a broader and vast form. Anything that is manufactured in India, with the sweat of Indian workers and the talent of Indian youth, is Swadeshi. ‘Make in India, make for the world’ means that products manufactured in India for global markets are Swadeshi for us. We must embrace Swadeshi as a way of life,” he stated.
Mentioning CP Joshi’s statement, CM said that two thousand years ago, India’s contribution to the world economy was 40%. Three hundred years ago, India’s contribution was 25%. In industrial production, India alone contributed 25% to the world economy, number one in the world. Greater India meant today’s India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. For 300 years, India was the world’s number one economic power and the number one producing nation, and in agriculture too, India had no equal.
highlighted India’s agricultural and cultural strengths, comparing them with global contexts. He noted that geographically, India ranks seventh in the world. The combined landmass of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh—referred to as “Greater India”—covers 42.5 crore hectares, while the Russian Federation spans 170 crore hectares. Yet, while only 20% of land in these countries is cultivable, India alone cultivates nearly 60% of its land.
The Chief Minister underlined that India has the world’s most fertile soil and abundant water resources. Historically, India was the largest producer of cloth, exporting textiles across the globe. Referring to Bengal’s history, he said foreign rulers, for selfish motives, even went as far as cutting off the hands of local artisans.
Yogi Adityanath also spoke about India’s deep-rooted tradition of natural farming. He recalled how, between Holi and Diwali, villagers tied cows, goats, and buffaloes in fields, which enriched soil fertility. “Whatever was taken from farming was returned in double measure,” he said, adding that what Prime Minister Narendra Modi today calls natural farming and Subhash Palekar describes as zero-budget farming had long been practiced by Indian farmers. Cow dung, urine, and even hooves were used to soften soil and maintain fertility, ensuring abundant food production.
CM Yogi spoke about the first Islamic invasion of India, stating that until 1100 AD, the Hindu population was nearly 60 crores, but by the time of Independence in 1947, it had declined to just 30 crores. Over 800–900 years, both the population and agricultural production decreased. He said it was not only invasions that caused deaths, but also hunger, disease, and suffering.
Referring to foreign rule, the CM said the country was oppressed and exploited. “Three hundred years ago, half of India’s population was engaged in agriculture, while more than half worked in factories, small industries, and cottage industries. Indian products dominated the world market, attracting traders from across the globe. India had everything, but those who divided society along the lines of caste, region, and language are still, with the same foreign mindset, splitting and weakening society today. These are the very people who will raise objections against the Swadeshi campaign,” the CM said.
The Chief Minister said that, as PM Modi emphasizes, any product made through the hard work of Indian workers, the talent of youth, and the efforts of entrepreneurs, traders, and laborers should be considered Swadeshi, and every citizen should be encouraged to buy it. He noted that India, the world’s largest consumer market, will prosper if its wealth stays within the country. Otherwise, profits taken abroad could be misused to fund terrorism, naxalism, and extremism. Stressing that the nation’s money must reach artisans, craftsmen, and youth, the CM also paid tribute to Dayanand Saraswati, Veer Savarkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Tilak.
CM Yogi said that inspired by Prime Minister Modi, the UP government launched the country’s most successful One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, under which each of the state’s 75 districts has been identified with a unique product. These include sports goods from Meerut, leather from Agra, Kanpur and Unnao, carpets from Bhadohi, Mirzapur and Varanasi, silk sarees from Varanasi and Azamgarh, zardozi from Lucknow, glassware from Firozabad, ceramics from Khurja, black pottery from Azamgarh, terracotta from Gorakhpur, Kala Namak rice from Siddharthnagar, amla from Pratapgarh, petha from Agra, papad from Hapur, and knives from Rampur.
The CM said that UP’s ODOP scheme has generated significant employment. “Over 96 lakh units have been set up in UP. Before 2017, artisans felt hopeless and neglected due to a lack of government support. We introduced this scheme and gave it fresh momentum. The campaign was strengthened with design, technology, marketing, branding, packaging, and promotion. Once labelled a BIMARU state, UP is now exporting goods worth Rs 2 lakh crore through ODOP”, the CM said.
The CM said Bhadohi exports carpets worth Rs 14,000 crore, Moradabad exports brass items worth Rs 12,000–14,000 crore, and Firozabad exports glass products worth Rs 4,000–5,000 crore annually, with revenues directly benefiting artisans, entrepreneurs, and workers. He noted that the sector employs two crore people, supporting nearly 10 crore individuals, much of it through home-based, low-investment work. Stressing that strength is growing across every sector, he urged that products made by local people must be further empowered.
The CM said that UP is fully leveraging its strength through ODOP, khadi, and defence production. Farmers are prospering, receiving more than 1.5 times the cost of their crops. In the last 8 years, Rs 2.86 lakh crore has been transferred to sugarcane farmers through DBT. The state has also attracted investment proposals worth over Rs 45 lakh crore, with connectivity seeing major improvements. Efforts are being expanded through schemes like ODOP, Vishwakarma Shram Samman, and PM Vishwakarma, with UPITS being part of this push. Featuring 2,500 stalls, the event showcases the state’s progress.
The CM urged citizens to visit the fair, highlighting that UP now produces 60% of the country’s electronic components. Sixty percent of India’s mobiles are manufactured in UP, along with phone, tablet, and laptop display boards—no longer imported from China, Taiwan, or America. For the past five years, this production has been running successfully, supplying both the domestic and global markets. UP alone exports mobiles worth Rs 2 lakh crore.
The CM warned participants at the workshop about the dangers of blindly adopting foreign models. He noted that some states now operate ‘cancer trains,’ water tables are declining, dark zones have emerged, and severe drought threatens. He stressed the importance of following the Swadeshi model, cautioning that agriculture and cottage industries were being harmed by foreign practices.
Highlighting India’s historical economic decline under foreign rulers, he said the country’s industrial share was just 1.5–2% at independence, leaving UP impoverished as BIMARU. “If disease can be cured in 8 years, UP can be developed in 22 years,” he said, adding that by 2047, India will be developed, with progress driven by the Swadeshi and Atmanirbhar Sankalp campaign.
On this occasion, former Rajasthan state president and MP CP Joshi, UP state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh, state general secretary (organization) Dharmpal, campaign convenor Braj Bahadur, and others were present.
