Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday set a target of establishing 500 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Uttar Pradesh by 2031, saying the state was ready to move beyond conventional business operations and become a hub for innovation, product development and high-value employment.“Our goal is to establish 500 GCCs by 2031 and create high-value employment opportunities for our youth. With a strong talent pool, modern office infrastructure and progressive policies, we are ready to welcome the world’s leading companies,” Yogi said while addressing global business leaders, investors and technology executives at UP GCC Innovation Summit 2026.This is significant considering that UP currently hosts an estimated 250–270 GCCs employing 80,000–90,000 professionals across technology, electronics, banking and financial services, industrials and healthcare.The CM also laid out reasons for setting the target while highlighting the state’s economic growth as a key factor.Yogi said that UP’s exports had crossed Rs 2 lakh crore. He cited its industrial base, expanding infrastructure and skilled workforce as key advantages in attracting global companies.Elaborating on the talent pool available to investors, he said the state had an estimated 6.7 lakh professionals, including around three lakh technology and engineering professionals.More than 8,000 higher education institutions and over two lakh STEM graduates annually provide a pipeline of talent for companies seeking to establish or expand operations.Yogi also highlighted the scope for expanding the GCC ecosystem beyond its established hubs. Noida and Greater Noida remain the state’s principal technology centres, while Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj and Varanasi offer opportunities for wider geographical expansion.He also said that to attract more investment in emerging technologies, govt is advancing its State AI Mission, deep-tech hubs, an AI City and a robotics cluster.The summit also saw 15 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed and five Letters of Comfort (LoCs) issued. The LoCs were issued to Havells India Ltd, Ameriprise India LLP, MetLife Global Operations Support Centre Pvt Ltd, LG Soft India Pvt Ltd and WSP Consultants India Pvt Ltd. The LoC for WSP Consultants India remains subject to approval by the state industry minister and issuance of the formal letter.Alongside these investment-related outcomes, the summit saw MoUs exchanged with 13 academic institutions, including IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, IIM Lucknow, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, Aligarh Muslim University, Shiv Nadar University, MNNIT Prayagraj and Lucknow University.The partnerships aim to strengthen industry-academia collaboration and align education and skills with the evolving requirements of GCCs.The state’s Uttar Pradesh GCC Policy 2024 offers eligible investors capital subsidies of up to 25% and land subsidies of up to 50%, subject to applicable conditions, officials said.Organised by IIT Kanpur Alumni Association in collaboration with Invest UP and HCLTech, the summit featured seven sessions on AI-first GCCs, product-led innovation, global investment, startup partnerships and workforce development. Industrial development minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ and IT and electronics minister of state for industrial development and parliamentary affairs Jaswant Singh Saini and senior state officials attended the event.
