From BIMARU to boom: Uttar Pradesh posts ₹37,000 cr revenue surplus, double of Gujarat

Once considered a BIMARU state in India due to its economic stagnation and financial limitations, Uttar Pradesh has now emerged as a leader in fiscal growth. 

According to the latest Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report reviewing states’ economic performance over the past decade, the state posted a revenue surplus in FY 2023, marking a dramatic turnaround. 

The report highlights that 16 Indian states currently earn more than they spend, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list with a revenue surplus of ₹37,000 crore. 

Officials attribute this milestone to policies implemented under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, which have placed the state on a path of sustainable development and set a model for others to follow.

Following Uttar Pradesh, the states with the highest surpluses are, Gujarat – ₹19,856 crore, Odisha – ₹15,560 crore,  Jharkhand – ₹13,920 crore, Karnataka – ₹13,496 crore,  Chhattisgarh – ₹8,592 crore, Telangana – ₹6,944 crore, Kerala – ₹5,310 crore, Madhya Pradesh – ₹4,091 crore, Goa – ₹2,399 crore. Several northeastern states—Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim—also feature in the surplus category. Notably, at least 10 of these 16 surplus states are governed by the BJP. 

Conversely, 12 states continue to struggle with revenue deficits, where income remains insufficient to meet expenditure. The largest deficits are reported in Andhra Pradesh (–₹43,488 crore), Tamil Nadu (–₹36,215 crore) Rajasthan (–₹31,491 crore), West Bengal (–₹27,295 crore),  Punjab (–₹26,045 crore), Haryana (–₹17,212 crore), Assam (–₹12,072 crore), Bihar (–₹11,288 crore) Kerala (–₹9,226 crore), Himachal Pradesh (–₹6,336 crore), Maharashtra (–₹1,936 crore), Meghalaya (–₹44 crore). 

The CAG’s findings underscore a widening gap between states with disciplined fiscal management and those still grappling with persistent deficits.