Raipur, Aug 2026: Chhattisgarh is rapidly moving beyond its traditional identity as a mineral- and industry-based state and emerging as a youth-driven economy powered by innovation, artificial intelligence, startups, green energy and modern manufacturing, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said.
Addressing the two-day World Leaders Forum in New Delhi, Sai presented Chhattisgarh’s evolving economic landscape, investment opportunities and development roadmap before prominent figures from India and the global economic community. He invited investors to explore opportunities in the state and said the government’s objective was not merely to attract investment but to convert it into employment, entrepreneurship, higher incomes and better opportunities for young people.
The Chief Minister said the state was working towards ensuring that its youth become “job creators” rather than merely “job seekers”. The forum was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, among other prominent personalities.
Economy expands at 11.57 per cent
Sai said Chhattisgarh’s economy reached approximately Rs 6.31 lakh crore in 2025-26, registering a growth rate of 11.57 per cent. Per capita income increased to Rs 1,79,244.
He said the state’s Rs 1.72 lakh crore budget for 2026-27 places particular emphasis on infrastructure, capital expenditure and social welfare. Roads, railways, energy, digital connectivity and industrial infrastructure are being strengthened to position Chhattisgarh among India’s leading investment destinations.
Over Rs 8 lakh crore investment proposals
The Chief Minister said the state had created a transparent and investor-friendly business environment through the Industrial Development Policy 2024-30, One Click Single Window System 2.0 and reforms aimed at improving ease of doing business.
More than 450 processes have been simplified over the past two years, he said, adding that Chhattisgarh has received investment proposals worth more than Rs 8 lakh crore since the implementation of the new industrial policy.
While steel, cement and mineral-based industries remain important, the state is now opening new opportunities in semiconductors, electronics, artificial intelligence, data centres, pharmaceuticals, textiles, logistics, green energy and food processing.
Target of 5,000 startups by 2030
Sai said youth entrepreneurship would be central to Chhattisgarh’s emerging economy. The state has set a target of developing 5,000 startups by 2030 and is providing seed-funding assistance of up to Rs 10 lakh to help entrepreneurs convert innovative ideas into businesses.
He said strengthening the startup ecosystem and connecting young people with technology, innovation, skills and markets would create new enterprises as well as employment opportunities at the local level.
Six lakh students to receive AI training
Describing artificial intelligence as an important driver of future development, Sai said the government plans to provide AI training to six lakh students and 1.5 lakh government employees.
More than 50 AI-based government services are also planned to improve the speed and quality of public service delivery. The Chief Minister said AI would not merely be a technological transformation but would also help improve education, create future employment opportunities and make government services more efficient and citizen-centric.
The state is working on a Rs 500 crore AI Mission, under which 100 AI labs and five Centres of Excellence will be established. The government also aims to support more than 300 AI startups.
An AI data centre park is being developed in Nava Raipur at an estimated cost of around Rs 1,000 crore, which Sai said would strengthen Chhattisgarh’s position in India’s emerging digital and AI ecosystem.
Bastar emerging as new growth centre
Sai described Bastar as an important chapter in Chhattisgarh’s development journey. With improvements in the security situation, he said new opportunities in development, investment, tourism, employment and entrepreneurship were emerging in the region.
A Rs 4,824 crore livelihood enhancement programme is being prepared to increase the incomes of around 10 lakh families across Bastar and other parts of the state. As many as 421 closed schools in Bastar have been reopened, while more than 34 lakh digital health profiles have been created by integrating technology with healthcare.
The Rs 3,513 crore Jagdalpur-Raoghat railway project, he said, would become a major milestone for Bastar’s economic development by improving industrial and commercial connectivity and enabling local products to reach larger markets.
Tourism, local products and green jobs
The Chief Minister highlighted the tourism potential of Chitrakote, Tirathgarh, Kanger Valley and Sirpur, along with Bastar’s rich tribal culture. Granting tourism the status of an industry is expected to attract private investment and create employment in hospitality, transport, handicrafts and allied services.
The government is also promoting local processing and value addition of minor forest produce, medicinal plants, millets and agricultural products so that the state can move beyond supplying raw materials and ensure greater economic value reaches local communities.
Sai said Chhattisgarh was also accelerating its transition towards green energy. The state aims to add around 4,000 MW of solar capacity in the coming years, while more than 90,000 households have already been connected to solar power. The state’s first floating solar plant has also been established in Bhilai.
Focus on value addition and manufacturing
The Chief Minister said the state’s economic strategy was shifting from merely exploiting natural resources towards processing and value addition within Chhattisgarh.
Electronics manufacturing infrastructure is being developed in Nava Raipur and Rajnandgaon. A proposed space manufacturing cluster in Rajnandgaon, a 142-acre pharmaceutical park and textile and readymade garment parks are expected to create new industrial opportunities.
The discovery of lithium in Korba has also opened possibilities in battery manufacturing, energy storage and the new energy sector.
Easier business environment
Sai said the Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026, had been introduced to make investment procedures simpler, transparent and time-bound. For low-risk industries, the framework provides for deemed approval if a decision is not taken within the prescribed period.
The system covers 43 services across eight departments and is expected to benefit nearly 15 lakh MSMEs.
Presenting the state as an investment destination combining natural resources, energy availability, land, a young workforce, improving connectivity and investor-friendly policies, Sai said Chhattisgarh’s next phase of growth would be driven by knowledge, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
He said investment should ultimately translate into better jobs, enterprise opportunities and higher incomes for the people of the state.
Advisor to the Chief Minister R. Krishna Das, Principal Secretary Subodh Kumar Singh, Secretaries P. Dayanand and Rahul Bhagat, Special Secretary and Commissioner Public Relations Rajat Bansal, Resident Commissioner Shruti Singh and other senior officials were present on the occasion.
