Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday underscored the importance of balanced regional development and industrial growth while addressing the Abhyudaya Madhya Pradesh Growth Summit in Gwalior.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said the tradition of structured industrial summits for state development began under Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister through the Vibrant Gujarat initiative. He noted that Madhya Pradesh has now adopted a similar model through regional investment summits to ensure balanced growth across all parts of the state.
“These regional investment summits will play a crucial role in unlocking the hidden potential of every region,” Shah said, adding that investments of nearly ₹2 lakh crore announced at the summit, though appearing modest at first glance, would have a transformative impact on the local economy.
Highlighting the state’s agricultural potential, Shah said cotton farming in the Malwa and Chambal regions had declined due to low returns, but the PM MITRA Park initiative has revived cotton as a profitable crop. He explained that the PM MITRA Park follows the 5F vision—Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion, and Fashion to Foreign—ensuring fair prices for farmers while strengthening the textile value chain. The largest PM MITRA Park in the country is being developed in Madhya Pradesh.
Shah emphasised that Madhya Pradesh’s central geographical location gives it a logistical advantage, enabling cost-effective supply to nearly half of India. He said this advantage can be fully realised only through the equitable distribution of industries across regions bordering southern states, Delhi, and western India. He also cited the development of a Multi-Modal Logistics Park in Indore as a key step in attracting manufacturing and warehousing investments.
Referring to the state’s development trajectory, Shah said Madhya Pradesh had once been labelled a BIMARU state but witnessed significant progress under former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a momentum that is now being carried forward by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. He highlighted achievements in infrastructure, irrigation expansion, surplus power generation, cleanliness, metro operations, and agriculture, noting that the state has won the Krishi Karman Award seven consecutive times.
The Home Minister said Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a major hub for startups and MSMEs, with 4.57 lakh new MSME units established in just one year. Nearly 50 per cent of startups in the state are run by women, reflecting strong strides in women’s empowerment.
Speaking on national achievements, Shah said India has made significant progress under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in sectors such as semiconductors, mobile manufacturing, defence production, digital payments, and infrastructure. He highlighted record foreign exchange reserves, rapid digital adoption through UPI, expansion of internet connectivity, growth in vaccine manufacturing, and improvements in Ease of Doing Business rankings.
Paying tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 101st birth anniversary, Shah described him as a visionary leader who laid the foundation for modern India’s infrastructure and governance. He recalled Vajpayee’s leadership during the Kargil conflict, his role in making India a nuclear power, the launch of the Golden Quadrilateral highway project, and the creation of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Shah also paid homage to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya on his birth anniversary and to Bharat Ratna C. Rajagopalachari on his death anniversary, acknowledging their enduring contributions to nation-building.
The event was attended by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, and other senior leaders and dignitaries.
