The prominent guests on the panel included Sudeep Goenka, Director, Goldie Masala, Manoj Gupta, Chairman, MKU Limited and Chairman, CII Uttar Pradesh Infrastructure Committee, Manish Mansinghka, Director, Singer India Limited and JK Urbanspace, Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Professor of Business Environment at IIM Lucknow and Mayur Maheshwari, CEO, Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation.UPSIDC,
TOI Dialogues: Understand the development story of Kanpur
Kanpur: A City of Economic Prospects
Sudeep Goenka, Director Goldie Spicesspoke on the need to retain the workforce in Kanpur. He began by reflecting on the city’s economic attractiveness: “Kanpur is a city where people want to settle. If you want to make money and build a life, it’s an ideal place.” He then highlighted the issue of brain drain and stressed the need for skill development initiatives to reverse this trend.
“Today India has the youngest population in the world, yet we are seeing a brain drain from Kanpur,” Goenka said. “If we can open training centres in the city and promote skill development, we can reverse this trend and retain talent.”
Goenka also mentioned the immense potential in this sector. MSME Sector“There are currently over 5,000 MSMEs registered in Kanpur, and while 8% of startups in India are from Uttar Pradesh, only 1% come from Kanpur. If we develop an incubation centre, we can promote new startups and retain local talent,” he said. “Entrepreneurship is in Kanpur’s blood. If we get the right ecosystem, we don’t need anything else,” he added.
Connectivity and strategic location
Manoj Gupta, Chairman, MKU Limited and CII Uttar Pradesh Infrastructure Committee, spoke about Kanpur’s strategic location and its connectivity benefits. “Kanpur is naturally well located, with GT Road and expressways passing through the city,” Gupta said. He emphasised the importance of waterways in enhancing the city’s trade and transport capabilities.
“Kanpur is situated on the banks of the Ganga and we should utilise this natural wealth. Waterways are important, especially because Kanpur is a landlocked city,” Gupta said, urging policymakers to prioritise the development of waterways. “If we can expand the waterways and integrate them with other infrastructure, connecting Kanpur to regions like Meerut, it will give a significant boost to the city’s trade potential.”
Gupta also highlighted the advantages of Kanpur’s location in the broader context of Uttar Pradesh’s development, pointing to the city’s potential as a hub for rail and road connectivity across the region.
Creation of infrastructure and employment
Manish Mansingka, director, Singer India Ltd and JK Urbanspace, spoke about the importance of infrastructure development to facilitate economic growth. Responding to a question about how Kanpur can use its workforce, he pointed to recent government initiatives. “Kanpur was among the top five cities in the 1960s in terms of tax revenue,” he said. “There is potential to rejuvenate the city and bring back industries like engineering, IT, garment exports and even bring in new sectors with the upcoming defence corridor.”
Mansingka identifies a serious challenge: “It is a chicken and egg problem – if jobs are available industries will come and if industries invest here employment will grow. To attract industries we need infrastructure – high-class offices, residential developments and hotels. Look at cities like Mumbai, Jaipur or even international examples like London and Singapore.”
He suggested that underutilised land in and around Kanpur could be redeveloped for mixed-use projects, taking inspiration from successful models in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal. “By focusing on these underutilised areas, we can spur growth and create employment opportunities,” Mansingka said.
Reviving Kanpur’s Heritage Industries
Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Professor of Business Environment IIM Lucknowprovided insights into how Kanpur can maintain long-term, sustainable growth. “Kanpur’s history and heritage is its greatest asset, especially in leather and textiles,” he said. “The city accounts for 20% of India’s leather production, and there is huge potential to revive the textile industry, especially by focusing on designer products.”
Dr Singh pointed out that Kanpur’s neighbouring competitor Bangladesh has outpaced Kanpur in textile manufacturing despite the current turmoil. “If we focus on innovation and incubation, especially leveraging the expertise of IIT Kanpur, we can regain that lead,” he said. He also emphasised the importance of infrastructure, especially the role of expressways and industrial corridors in reducing logistics costs. “Once these corridors are fully developed, the disadvantage of being a landlocked city will be reduced, and Kanpur can become a major industrial hub.”
Singh suggested that if the government designates Kanpur as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), it would further boost industries and attract investments from both domestic and international investors.
Government support for the industrial development of Kanpur
UPSIDC CEO Mayur Maheshwari discussed the government’s role in Kanpur’s industrial development. “The government is working in new ways, focusing on decentralisation and creating integrated platforms where departments are interconnected,” he said. “For example, when the Dedicated Freight Corridor was being developed, we planned a logistics park along with it, which would facilitate the movement of goods.”
Maheshwari stressed the importance of the Lucknow-Kanpur Industrial Corridor, calling it the biggest corridor in the region. He said, “The upcoming Lucknow Expressway will further enhance connectivity between the two cities and boost economic activities.”
In addition, Maheshwari revealed the government’s plan to develop an express rail line between Lucknow and Kanpur, designed to accelerate trade and economic growth. “We are also exploring the possibility of partnering with IIT Kanpur to develop the city as a hub for electric vehicles (EVs),” he said, pointing to the possibility of Kanpur emerging as a leader in the EV industry.
