New Delhi, Aug 21 — Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday presented the state’s economic growth story, investment opportunities and development vision at the two-day World Leaders Forum in New Delhi, an official said.
The gathering brought together leading figures from India and abroad, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The Chief Minister stated that Chhattisgarh’s economy is no longer limited to just minerals and traditional industries; the state is advancing across the agriculture, industry, and service sectors.
In the 2025-26 fiscal year, the state's economy reached a size of approximately Rs 6.31 lakh crore, with a growth rate of 11.57 per cent. Per capita income has risen to Rs 1,79,244. The Rs 1.72 lakh crore budget for 2026-27 prioritises capital expenditure, infrastructure, and social welfare, said the Chief Minister.
Over the past two years, more than 450 procedures have been simplified through reforms such as the New Industrial Development Policy (2024-30) and the 'One-Click Single Window System 2.0', he said.
This has had a visible impact on investment; following the new industrial policy, the state has received investment proposals exceeding Rs 8 lakh crore. Investment prospects have expanded into new sectors such as semiconductors, electronics, AI, data centres, pharmaceuticals, textiles, logistics, green energy, and food processing.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai emphasised that the youth of Chhattisgarh should move beyond being job seekers and emerge as entrepreneurs and job creators, making youth-led enterprise a key pillar of the state’s economic vision.
He said the government aims to establish 5,000 startups by 2030 and is providing seed funding of up to Rs 10 lakh to new entrepreneurs to promote self-reliance and employment generation.
Alongside this, the state plans to provide AI training to 6 lakh students and 1.5 lakh government employees and develop more than 50 AI-based government services, with the objective of using technology not merely for digital transformation but to make education, employment and public services more accessible and effective for citizens.
The state’s technology-driven development vision is being reinforced through the development of an AI Data Centre Park in Naya Raipur at an estimated investment of Rs 1,000 crore.
Under the Rs 500-crore AI Mission, the government plans to support 100 AI data labs, establish five Centres of Excellence and promote more than 300 AI startups, it said.
The Chief Minister also identified Bastar as a key driver of Chhattisgarh’s future economy, stating that the improved security environment has enabled a renewed focus on development, employment and investment in the region.
He said a Rs 4,824-crore livelihood enhancement scheme is being formulated to raise the incomes of around 10 lakh families, while 421 closed schools have been reopened and digital health profiles created for more than 34 lakh people.
The Rs 3,513-crore Jagdalpur-Raoghat rail project is also expected to strengthen Bastar’s connectivity with industries and markets, giving a further boost to economic development in the region.
Tourism and local products are also being accorded a significant role in Bastar's economy. Preparations are underway to integrate destinations like Chitrakot, Tirathgarh, Kanger Valley, and Sirpur — along with Bastar's tribal culture—into the global tourism circuit, he said.