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Chhattisgarh Charts a Youth-Centred Economic Road Map at World Leaders Forum*
- By 24hnbc --
- Thursday, 20 Aug, 2026
24hnbc.com
RAIPUR, August 21, 2026/ Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, addressing the two-day World Leaders Forum in New Delhi on Friday, presented the state’s rapidly changing economic landscape, its expanding investment opportunities and a road map for future growth before leading figures from the global economic community.
CM Shri Vishnu Deo Sai said Chhattisgarh was moving beyond its traditional identity as an economy driven primarily by minerals and conventional industries, and was building a new economic model centred on young people, innovation, artificial intelligence, start-ups, green energy and advanced manufacturing.
The state government’s objective, CM Shri Sai said, was not merely to attract large investments, but to translate investment into employment, entrepreneurship, higher incomes and better prospects for young people. Chhattisgarh’s youth, he said, should not remain merely job seekers; through innovation and entrepreneurship, they should become creators of employment for others. The state’s policies and programmes are being reshaped around that principle.
The forum is bringing together prominent leaders from India and around the world, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
*A ₹6.31 lakh crore Economy Growing at 11.57 Percent*
Highlighting Chhattisgarh’s recent economic performance, CM Shri Sai said the size of the state economy reached about ₹6.31 lakh crore in 2025-26, while its economic growth rate stood at 11.57 percent. Per capita income rose to ₹179,244.
He said the government was giving equal priority to economic development and public welfare so that the benefits of growth reached every section of society.
The state’s ₹1.72 lakh crore budget for 2026-27, he said, places particular emphasis on infrastructure creation, capital expenditure and social welfare. Chhattisgarh is pursuing a planned expansion of road, rail, energy, digital connectivity and industrial infrastructure as it seeks to establish itself among India’s leading investment destinations.
*More Than 8 lakh crore rupees in Proposals Under the New Industrial Policy*
CM Shri Sai said creating a transparent and investor-friendly business environment was among his government’s highest priorities. Investment procedures have been made simpler and more time-bound through the Industrial Development Policy 2024-30, the One Click Single Window System 2.0 and a broader set of ease-of-doing-business reforms.
More than 450 procedures have been simplified over the past two years, he said. The reforms have begun to show results, with Chhattisgarh receiving more than 8 lakh crore rupees in investment proposals since the introduction of the new industrial policy.
While steel, cement and mineral-based industries remain important to the state, CM Shri Sai said new investment opportunities were emerging in semiconductors, electronics, artificial intelligence, data centres, pharmaceuticals, textiles, logistics, green energy and food processing.
*By 2030, 5,000 Start-Ups and a Generation of Job Creators*
Young people, CM Shri Sai said, are at the heart of Chhattisgarh’s emerging economy. The government wants them to move beyond waiting for jobs and become entrepreneurs capable of creating employment.
The state has set a target of developing 5,000 start-ups by 2030. New entrepreneurs are being offered seed-fund assistance of up to 10 lakh rupees to help turn innovative ideas into viable businesses. Alongside strengthening the start-up ecosystem, the state is placing particular emphasis on connecting young people with technology, innovation, skills and markets.
Encouraging young entrepreneurs, CM Shri Sai said, would not only lead to the creation of new businesses but could also generate employment opportunities at scale in local communities.
*AI Training for Six lakh Students and More Than 50 AI-Enabled Public Services*
CM Shri Sai described artificial intelligence as an important instrument in Chhattisgarh’s future development. The state plans to provide AI training to six lakh students and 150,000 government employees. It also plans to develop more than 50 AI-enabled government services to make public services faster and more effective.
The purpose of AI, he said, was not technological change for its own sake. Its larger objective was to improve the quality of education, prepare young people for the jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities of the future, and make government services more effective and citizen-centred.
*₹500 crore State AI Mission and an AI Data Centre Park in Nava Raipur*
Chhattisgarh is implementing ₹500 crore State AI Mission, CM Shri Sai said. Under the initiative, the government plans to establish 100 AI data labs and five Centres of Excellence, while supporting more than 300 AI start-ups.
An AI Data Centre Park with an investment of about ₹1000 crore is also being developed in Nava Raipur. The project is expected to strengthen Chhattisgarh’s position in India’s emerging digital and artificial-intelligence ecosystem and create a new generation of employment opportunities for young people.
*Bastar Emerges as a New Pillar of Chhattisgarh’s Economy*
CM Shri Sai described the transformation underway in Bastar as one of the most significant chapters in Chhattisgarh’s development story. With a substantial improvement in the security situation, the region is opening up to new opportunities in development, investment, employment and entrepreneurship.
A ₹4824 crore Livelihood Enhancement Plan is being prepared to raise the incomes of about one million families in Bastar and other parts of the state, he said. In Bastar, 421 previously closed schools have been reopened, while digital health profiles have been created for more than 34 lakh people as part of efforts to use technology to improve access to health care.
The ₹3513 crore Jagdalpur-Raoghat railway project, CM Vishnu Deo Sai said, would be a milestone in Bastar’s economic development. The railway is expected to improve the region’s industrial and commercial connectivity while helping local products reach larger markets.
*Tourism and Local Products to Drive Employment in Bastar*
Chhattisgarh’s natural landscapes, tribal culture and historical heritage offer enormous tourism potential, CM Shri Sai said. The government is working to connect destinations including Chitrakote, Tirathgarh, Kanger Valley and Sirpur, along with Bastar’s rich tribal culture, to the global tourism map.
The state’s decision to grant industry status to tourism is expected to attract private investment and create employment across hotels, hospitality, transportation, local handicrafts and related services.
The government is also promoting local processing and value addition of minor forest produce, medicinal plants, millets and agricultural products found across Bastar and other forest regions.
The goal, CM Shri Sai said, was to ensure that Chhattisgarh did not remain merely a producer of raw materials. Instead, more finished products should be manufactured within the state so that a greater share of their economic value remained with local communities.
*Green Energy Becomes Part of Chhattisgarh’s Growth Strategy*
CM Shri Sai said Chhattisgarh was already among India’s leading energy-producing states. While retaining its strength in conventional energy, the state is now accelerating its transition toward green energy.
Chhattisgarh aims to develop about 4,000 megawatts of additional solar power capacity in the coming years. More than 90,000 households in the state have already been connected to solar energy, while Chhattisgarh’s first floating solar power plant has been established in Bhilai.
The expansion of green energy, Mr. Sai said, would not only help meet the state’s future energy requirements but also provide a foundation for new investment and green jobs.
*Moving Beyond Raw Materials to Value Addition*
Chhattisgarh is rich in natural resources, but its new economic policy is aimed not simply at extracting those resources, CM Shri Sai said. The state wants to maximise value addition within Chhattisgarh itself.
As part of that shift, electronics-manufacturing infrastructure is being developed in Nava Raipur and Rajnandgaon. A proposed space manufacturing cluster in Rajnandgaon, a 142-acre pharmaceutical park, and textile and ready-made garment parks are expected to add momentum to the state’s next phase of industrial development.
The discovery of lithium in Korba has also opened new possibilities for battery manufacturing, energy storage and other new-energy industries in the state.
*Ease of Doing Business Act to Simplify Investment*
CM Shri Sai said the state had enacted the Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026, to make industrial procedures simpler, more transparent and time-bound.
For low-risk industries, the law provides for automatic approval when a decision is not taken within the prescribed period.
The framework covers 43 services across eight government departments and is expected to benefit about 1.5 million micro, small and medium enterprises.
The government’s objective, CM Shri Sai said, was to prevent investors from losing unnecessary time to permissions and procedures, allowing them instead to focus their resources on building businesses and creating jobs.
*From Resources to Innovation: A New Investment Model for Chhattisgarh*
Before global investors, CM Shri Sai presented Chhattisgarh as a state where natural resources, abundant energy, land, a skilled and youthful workforce, improving connectivity, modern infrastructure and investment-friendly policies are coming together.
The next phase of Chhattisgarh’s development, he said, would take the state beyond a resource-based economy toward one increasingly driven by knowledge, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Investment, CM Shri Sai said, is a means to that transformation, not its final objective. The ultimate goal is to create better opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and income for the state’s young people and, through them, bring meaningful improvements to people’s lives.
The event was also attended by R. Krishna Das, Adviser to the Chief Minister; Subodh Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister; P. Dayanand and Rahul Bhagat, Secretaries to the Chief Minister; Rajat Bansal, Special Secretary and Commissioner, Public Relations; Shruti Singh, Resident Commissioner; and other officials.
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