Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said Uttar Pradesh govt aimed to establish Lucknow among India’s leading AI innovation cities and would support at least 50 AI startups in setting up and scaling their operations in the city over the next five years.Addressing an event marking the 10th anniversary of HCLTech’s Lucknow campus, Yogi said, “Our resolve is to establish Lucknow among India’s leading AI innovation cities. In the next five years, the govt will extend full support to at least 50 AI startups to establish themselves here, become stronger and access global markets.”Calling on HCLTech to partner with the state in the initiative, he said, “Lucknow has to be developed not merely as a centre for IT services, but as a major hub for AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, computing technology and deep tech.”Yogi also launched the second phase of HCLTech’s IT City in Lucknow. The expansion involves an investment of around Rs 500 crore on 20 acres and will add nearly 9.5 lakh sq ft of built-up area. It will include a new IT building with around 5,000 seats, multilevel parking and a cafeteria, and is expected to generate around 6,000 direct and indirect jobs.He said the IT sector was no longer limited to Noida, with IT parks operational in Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Meerut and Agra. Seven software technology parks are also functional, while new IT parks are being developed in Varanasi, Bareilly, Kanpur and Gorakhpur.“Our biggest strength is our young and talented workforce. Today, I can proudly say that I have India’s youngest workforce, and its talent is my greatest strength,” Yogi said.He said IT and IT-enabled services exports from UP had risen from around Rs 12,000-15,000 crore a decade ago to over Rs 1 lakh crore, and govt had set a target of Rs 2.5 lakh crore in the next four years.Yogi also linked the expansion of the technology sector to the changing aspirations of young people in the state. He said HCLTech’s Lucknow campus represented more than a business investment, as it had enabled local talent, particularly young professionals, to build careers without having to leave the state.“Ten years ago, young people from Uttar Pradesh had to look towards Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad for better career opportunities. Today, the situation has changed. Uttar Pradesh’s youth is choosing Lucknow, and the city is emerging as a destination for talent from across the country,” he said.
