Dehradun, March 6 -- Uttarakhand's economy is projected to grow at 8.2% in 2026-27, according to the state's Economic Survey, which highlighted significant expansion in gross state domestic product (GSDP), rising per capita income, and steady growth in industry, infrastructure and the startup ecosystem. Presenting the highlights of the survey at the Secretariat media centre in Dehradun on Thursday, principal secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram said the state's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) reached Rs.3,81,889 crore in 2024-25, up from about Rs.2.54 lakh crore in 2021-22, marking an increase of more than one-and-a-half times in just three years. He said the per capita income in the state rose from Rs.1,94,670 in 2021-22 to Rs.2,73,921 in 2024-25, reflecting sustained economic expansion and improved income levels. The survey was prepared in collaboration with the National Council of Applied Economic Research, he added. The state recorded a growth rate of 7.23% in 2024-25. During the same period, the Multidimensional Poverty Index declined from 9.7% in 2021-22 to 6.92% in 2024-25, while the labour force participation rate increased from 60.1% to 64.4%, indicating a rise in employment opportunities and workforce engagement. The Human Development Index (HDI) improved from 0.718 in 2021-22 to 0.722 in 2024-25, continuing the steady upward trend from 0.684 in 2017 and 0.247 in 2001, he said. He said there has been a significant expansion in the industrial and startup ecosystem. The number of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) increased from 59,798 in 2021-22 to 79,394 in 2024-25, while employment in the MSME sector is expected to grow from 3,43,922 in 2022 to 4,56,605 in 2025. Similarly, the number of large industries rose from 107 in 2021-22 to 128 in 2024-25, while the startup ecosystem expanded rapidly from virtually no registered startups in 2017 to 702 in 2021-22 and 1,750 in 2025, he said. "Infrastructure indicators also improved during the period. The total road network expanded from 50,393 km in 2021-22 to 51,278 km in 2024-25. The number of heliports increased from two in 2022 to seven in 2025, while helipads rose from 60 in 2021-22 to 118 in 2024-25," he said. In the education sector, the dropout rate in primary schools declined from 1.64% in 2021-22 to 1.41% in 2024-25, while in secondary schools it dropped from 7.65% to 4.59%. The number of government and private degree colleges increased from 124 to 139, and engineering colleges rose from 20 to 52 during the same period. "Electricity generation in the state also saw a rise, increasing from 5,157 million units in 2021-22 to 16,500 million units in 2024-25, while electricity consumption grew from 12,518 million units in 2022 to 17,192 million units in 2024-25", he said. There has also been a major push in renewable energy, with solar power generation rising sharply from 439 MW in 2021-22 to 1,027 MW in 2025. "Health indicators also improved, with the infant mortality rate declining from 22 in 2021-22 to 20 in 2024-25, and the maternal mortality rate falling from 103 to 91 during the same period. Life expectancy in the state increased from 71.7 years to 73 years", he said. In sanitation, 100% of households in the state now have access to toilets, compared with 97% in 2021-22. Agricultural productivity also improved, with rice and wheat yields rising from 28.23 quintals per hectare in 2021-22 to 32.47 quintals per hectare in 2024-25. The area under medicinal and aromatic plants expanded sharply from 900 hectares to 10,000 hectares. Milk production increased from 50.92 lakh litres per day in 2021-22 to 54.59 lakh litres per day in 2024-25, while fish production rose from 7,325 tonnes annually to 10,487 tonnes during the same period. Tourism infrastructure also expanded, with the number of hotels and other accommodation facilities increasing from 8,225 in 2021-22 to 10,509 in 2024-25, while homestays grew from 3,935 to 6,161, he said. He added that the hill state ranked first in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index in 2023-24, improving from the fourth position in 2021-22....