Lucknow to House India's Pioneering AI City Developed by UP

26 Dec, 2023

Lucknow to House India's Pioneering AI City Developed by UP

Uttar Pradesh, India's largest state, is charting an ambitious course by spearheading the development of India's foremost AI city in Lucknow, aimed at nurturing and advancing the AI ecosystem. Recent research from Grand View Research highlighted the global AI market's significant expansion, foreseeing a 37.3% annual growth rate from 2023 to 2030, with a value of $137 billion in 2022.

Lucknow stands as a beacon for AI and MedTech, boasting Centers of Excellence deeply integrated with AI technologies. The AI Center of Excellence at IIIT Lucknow supports over 15 AI/ML startups, fostering an environment conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship.

An Expression of Interest (EoI) issued by the UP Electronics Corporation Ltd., the project's nodal agency, envisions the AI city as a thriving hub where groundbreaking ideas flourish, leveraging cutting-edge technology, research centers, and educational institutions. The plan is to create a fertile ground for cultivating the future workforce while nurturing a culture of innovation.

The real estate developer selected for the project will create office infrastructures designed for plug-and-play functionalities and Grade A office spaces, catering to incubators, startups, and corporates. The government's proactive support includes allocating 40 acres in the Nadarganj Industrial Area, offering unencumbered land and facilitating necessary clearances and regulations.

Financial support in the form of attractive incentives, including one-time Capex support up to ₹20 crore for IT Park and ₹100 crore for IT City, along with a 100% stamp duty exemption as per the IT and ITeS Policy, 2022, is part of the offering outlined in the EoI document.

The AI city's blueprint encompasses a mix of luxury and affordable housing, fostering a walk-to-work model. It includes dedicated spaces for top engineering and management institutes, promoting collaboration between industry and academia, and integrating AI-enabled internal modes of transport.

Uttar Pradesh has set its sights on becoming a $1 trillion economy within the next five years, identifying IT and ITeS as pivotal sectors driving this growth. With Noida evolving into a global IT and ITeS hub, the state aims to amplify this sector's growth by elevating emerging technology hubs like Lucknow.

Recognizing AI as a key catalyst for global IT and ITeS sector growth, the state plans to leverage this technology's potential, as stated in the EoI document. Lucknow boasts a robust IT landscape with major players like HCL and TCS, supported by a skilled workforce comprising over 75,000 tech professionals and 23,000 STEM graduates from prestigious institutions like IIM-Lucknow, IIIT-Lucknow, BBDU, and Amity.

This strategic move aligns with Uttar Pradesh's vision of fostering innovation, propelling economic growth, and positioning itself as a prominent player in the global technology landscape.