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Gautam Buddha Nagar, which includes the cities of Noida and Greater Noida, has become the richest and fastest-growing area in Uttar Pradesh. In fact, its income levels are now being compared to a developed country like Japan (when seen using purchasing power parity or PPP, which adjusts for cost of living differences).

As per a report by Times of India, the per person income (per capita income) in GB Nagar is Rs. 10.17 lakh, which is over 10 times the state’s average. That’s a huge gap. It even places this district in a different league altogether when compared globally.

In the financial year 2023–24, GB Nagar’s GDP was Rs. 2.63 lakh crore which was more than 10 per cent of Uttar Pradesh’s entire economy and nearly double the size of Lucknow’s economy. It’s also bigger than the whole economy of Himachal Pradesh.

Per capita income of other cities with a global comparison

  • GB Nagar: Rs. 10.17 lakh – Similar to Japan
  • Lucknow: Rs.  2.16 lakh – Close to India’s national average
  • Ghaziabad: Rs.  2.11 lakh – Comparable to Morocco
  • Hamirpur: Rs.  1.46 lakh – Similar to Côte d’Ivoire
  • Sonbhadra: Rs.  1.44 lakh – Like Pakistan

Sadly, some districts in eastern UP like Pratapgarh, Jaunpur, and Ballia have very low per capita incomes which is close to those of poor countries such as Afghanistan or Mali when seen through the PPP lens.

While Gautam Buddha Nagar races ahead like a developed country, many other districts in UP are still struggling to catch up.

 Bottom 5 districts of Uttar Pradesh in form of GDP

Uttar Pradesh’s economy shows a huge divide. Just the top 5 districts — Gautam Buddha Nagar, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, Agra, and Kanpur — together produce over 25 per cent of the entire state’s GDP. On the other hand, the bottom 5 districts contribute less than 2.5 per cent.

Even though Lucknow is the capital, it still lags far behind Gautam Buddha Nagar (GB Nagar) in income per person. GB Nagar’s per capita income is five times higher than Lucknow’s, and a shocking 23 times higher than Pratapgarh, which is the poorest district by this measure.

While GB Nagar is booming, districts like Shravasti, Chitrakoot, Sant Kabir Nagar, Auraiya, and Bhadohi are still struggling. These five districts together produce less GDP than Kanpur Nagar alone. For example, Shravasti’s GDP is just Rs. 8,593 crore which is 30 times smaller than GB Nagar’s economy.

Why GB Nagar stands out

GB Nagar’s rapid rise isn’t random. It benefits from:

  • Being close to Delhi
  • Well-planned infrastructure
  • Strong private investment
  • A growing industrial and IT sector

It has also become a centre for real estate, electronics, data centres, and logistics, all of which help boost local incomes and attract more business.

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