Apex industry body ASSOCHAM has urged the Uttarakhand government to accelerate upgradation of infrastructure so that the state can emerge as a major tourism and investment destination in the country.

The state economy has been growing at an annual rate of 8.7 per cent since 2000-01. With 292 live investment projects worth Rs 99,564 crore, it ranks as one of north India’s lucrative investment destination, said The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in a study titled ‘Strategy to Sustain Growth Momentum in Uttarakhand.’ “There is enormous potential for Uttarakhand to grow at a much faster rate,” according to the study released by chairman of the chamber’s Northern Regional Development Council Lalit Khaitan and secretary general D.S. Rawat.

With many holy temples and cities – some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship – the state deserves good road, rail and air connectivity besides budget hotels. “Religious and wildlife tourism can become key drivers of Uttarakhand’s economy. It is already well known for natural beauty and wealth of the Himalayas, the Bhabhar and the Terai,” the study said. “Two of India's mightiest rivers – the Ganges and the Yamuna – take birth in the glaciers here and are fed by myriad lakes, glacial melts and streams in the region.”