NEW DELHI, March 16, 2026 - The World Bank, the Government of India and Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) today signed an agreement to support the Government of UP's Clean Air Plan which focuses on integrated solutions to improve the state's air quality and create job opportunities for youth and women.
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Clean Air Management Program ($299.66 million) will focus on clean air transition across key sectors like transport, agriculture and industry with clean air benefits spilling over to other states. Almost 200 new air quality monitors will be installed with data received from the U.P. Pollution Control Board.
"Uttar Pradesh is on course to become a $1 trillion economy because we believe that economic growth, productivity, and ecological balance go hand in hand. Through the Uttar Pradesh Clean Air Management Program, our pursuit of prosperity will be measured not by GDP alone, but by clean skies, healthier and more productive citizens, and a flourishing environment that sustains our people and our planet," said Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
The agreement was signed by Ms. Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India; Ms. B. Chandrakala, CEO, Clean Air Management Authority and Secretary of Forest, Environment and Climate Change on behalf of the Government of Uttar Pradesh; and Paul Procee, Acting Country Director, India on behalf of the World Bank.
"The program will leverage almost $150 million in private capital in the transport and MSME sectors," said Paul Procee, Acting Country Director, World Bank India. "By investing in electric buses and 3-wheelers, and emissions monitoring systems and cleaner technologies in industries, the program will help to improve firm productivity and growth, as well as provide greater access to jobs to young men and women in the state."
The program will also help 3.9 million households gain access to clean cooking. More than 700 brick kilns will transition to resource-efficient technology. Farmers will adopt efficient fertilizer use to improve crop productivity in the state.
The Uttar Pradesh program is part of the World Bank's Regional Air Quality Management Program in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF), a global air pollution hotspot. It has a maturity of 10 years including a grace period of two years and will receive support from the multi-donor Energy Sector Management Assessment Program.
