New Delhi, Dec. 30 -- Two numbers-800 and 8,000-offer a sharp lens through which Uttar Pradesh's evolving industrial trajectory can be understood. They capture a transition from incremental growth to accelerated industrialisation, signalling a deeper shift in policy execution, investor confidence and economic governance in India's most populous state.

A slow base between 2012 and 2017

Between 2012 and 2017, Uttar Pradesh added roughly 800 large factories. While the period was marked by high-visibility infrastructure announcements-such as expressways and IT city proposals-industrial expansion on the ground remained limited.

Structural challenges weighed heavily on investment sentiment. Law and order concerns, lengthy approval processes ...