Lucknow: Intensifying its efforts to attract investment in UP, the state govt is set to roll out the red carpet for over 200 Japanese business leaders from Tuesday.The state will host business leaders from Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan to turn their interest into functional partnership so that engagement evolves into factories, technology partnerships and jobs.Speaking to TOI on the eve of the event, a senior official from the host Invest UP said, “Led by Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki, the Japanese delegation will explore projects and partnerships across manufacturing, clean energy, semiconductors, digital infrastructure, skills and tourism during the UP-Japan Investment Meet 2026.”The effort, which would take the delegation through New Delhi, Lucknow, Greater Noida, Agra and Varanasi, aims at bringing Japanese companies face-to-face with state officials, Indian businesses and academic institutions.The focus on actual projects will be underlined by a virtual ground-breaking ceremony for projects of Escorts Kubota and Minda Corporation at Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA). Together, the two companies are investing Rs 3,191 crore in three projects that are expected to create more than 10,000 jobs.Escorts Kubota’s Rs 2,025-crore project in Sector 10, YEIDA, will manufacture tractors, construction equipment and allied products and is expected to employ more than 3,800 people.Minda Corporation’s two projects, involving Rs 1,166 crore, will manufacture automotive components and are projected to provide around 6,440 jobs.The state is also seeking to build a larger Japanese manufacturing ecosystem, with 500 acres at YEIDA earmarked for a dedicated Japanese City. The proposed cluster will bring Japanese companies, suppliers and ancillary industries together while facilitating technology transfer and supply-chain integration.The main state-level summit will be held in Lucknow on Aug 21, with govt-to-business and business-to-business matchmaking sessions. A CXO roundtable will precede it in New Delhi on Aug 19.The discussions will also cover renewable energy, green hydrogen, electronics, semiconductors, GCCs, data centres and workforce development.Tourism will form another part of the pitch, with opportunities along Buddhist Circuit covering Varanasi, Sarnath and Kushinagar, besides smart civic infrastructure and hospitality projects in Agra.
