Lucknow, Sep 9 (Reporter) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that in the past seven and a half years, the state has gained the confidence of both domestic and international investors, with IKEA India being a key example. The CM laid the foundation stone for the IKEA store in Noida. Expressing gratitude for IKEA India's Rs 5,500 crore investment proposal in the state, he said that UP has now become the preferred investment destination in India. He said that the state has embarked on a new era of growth. Yogi highlighted the ambitious project by Ingka Centres, which will feature an IKEA retail store, a hotel, office spaces, and a shopping center. "This comprehensive development is expected to generate employment for over 9,000 youth, significantly contributing to the state's economic growth," he said. He said, "Since 2017, UP has been actively promoting infrastructure development, fostering new investment opportunities, skill development, and promoting traditional products, all of which are now yielding tangible results." The CM underscored the state's ODOP (One District One Product) scheme as a pioneering initiative nationwide and UP's leading position in ease of doing business, bolstered by its robust law and order environment. He said, "UP, India's most populous state, currently contributes 9.2 percent to the nation's economy. It has emerged as the second-largest state economy in the country and is rapidly advancing as a key driver of India's development." Noting that UP introduced its industrial development policy in 2017, Yogi said, "At that time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that investment should be linked to employment. The groundbreaking of the IKEA India store directly results from this guidance." He highlighted that UP boasts the country's largest and most talented youth population. "The state's unemployment rate has decreased over the past seven and a half years," he said. The CM said, "UP actively contributes to national development through a sectoral policy covering 27 different sectors." He mentioned that by the end of this year, the Noida, Greater Noida, and Yamuna Authority areas will be connected to public transport facilities and India's largest Noida International Airport. Yogi said, "This region is also crucial for logistics, as it will intersect with the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridor in Gautam Buddha Nagar district. With its immense potential, UP offers significant benefits to India and the global community." Sweden's Ambassador Jan Thesleff, UP's Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', MSME Minister Rakesh Sachan, Minister of State for Industrial Development Jaswant Saini, Chief Secretary Manoj Singh, and IKEA India CEO Susanne Pulverer, among others, attended the event...////...