With Naxals Decimated, Chhattisgarh Bets Big On Industries And Tourism

The Vishnu Deo Sai government is now looking to reposition the tribal district. With a significant decline in Naxal violence and a strengthened security environment, the Chhattisgarh government is accelerating tourism and industrial development in the region. Rapid improvement in infrastructure is driving Bastar into an emerging investment destination.

Speaking to The Secretariat, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said, "We have been able to defeat Naxals within two years of the formation of our government. All major Maoist ideologues have been neutralised over the past few months. Now we can give a push to the tourism sector."

Focus On Bastar

The Chief Minister pointed out that South Bastar is almost a Naxal-free zone. "Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, we are likely to achieve the target of elimination of Naxals from the country before the set target of March 31 next year,” the Chief Minister said. “More than ₹32,000 crore investment is likely to be made in the Bastar region over the next few months,” he added.

As the Bastar region is tribal-dominated and blessed with abundant natural beauty, the Chhattisgarh government has decided to promote tourism in the area. Moreover, the local population will be trained in better agriculture and animal husbandry techniques.

Attracting Investments

Chhattisgarh has bagged investment proposals worth ₹7.83 lakh crore over the past few months. Several of these projects are at different stages of implementation. Chhattisgarh is now not just confined to iron ore production, as advanced technology-driven industries such as a semiconductor plant and an AI-based data centre are being established in the state.

The Investor Connect initiative is also organised across the country and internationally to attract more investments to the state. It is the second time that such a programme has been held in the capital. 

At the Delhi meet, Chhattisgarh has received industrial investment proposals to the tune of ₹6,321 crore and ₹505 crore for the development of the tourism sector, which are expected to generate over 3,000 employment opportunities in the coming years.

Investor Outreach

The State government has conducted similar investor outreach programmes in cities like Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, besides countries such as Japan and South Korea.  

The government has been betting big on policy initiatives, chiefly its single-window clearance mechanism for speedy regulatory clearance, allotment of land, subsidy on capital investment, interest subsidy, exemption from electricity duty, reimbursement of the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST), upgradation of technology, and environmental protection.

Chhattisgarh Industry Minister Lakhan Lal Dewangan pointed out that following the launch of the 'New Industrial Development Policy 2024-30' about 10 months ago, the state was able to attract unprecedented investments.

“The idea is to invite industries with incentives. These industries would also ensure that the young population of the state is provided with enough employment opportunities,” Dewangan said.

The Chhattisgarh government is also highlighting its strategic location of the state, which makes transportation of goods cheaper to other parts of the country. The state's strong combination of energy availability, mineral wealth, skilled human resources, and investor-friendly policies is also being pitched to businesses. 

"The strategic location of the state, which is at the centre of the nation, ensures that the transportation cost of the goods manufactured in Chhattisgarh can be transported at a fraction of the cost and ensure competitiveness," said Ritu Sain, Investment Commissioner, Chhattisgarh.