As Uttar Pradesh accelerates its digital transformation,technologyisstrengthening governance, digital infrastructure and citizen services. Through initiatives in AI, cybersecurity, data centres, electronics manufacturing and startups, the State is building a future-ready digital ecosystem. Shri Sameer, IAS, Special Secretary, Department of IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation Ltd. (UPDESCO), shares his insights in an exclusive interaction with Ritika Srivastava and Sahaj Anand of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited excerpts:
As technology continues to become an integral part of governance, how is Uttar Pradesh ensuring effective coordination and implementation of digital initiatives across various departments?
Our central objective is to ensure that technology is not treated as a standalone procurement activity but as a strategic instrument for better governance, measurable outcomes and an enhanced citizen experience.
Given Uttar Pradesh’s scale, diverse departmental systems and high transaction volumes, effective coordination
begins with common standards, shared digital architecture and clearly defined institutional responsibilities. Departments must own service delivery, while technology agencies provide architecture, implementation support, quality assurance and long-term maintenance.
We are steadily moving from department-specific digital solutions to interoperable platforms built on reusable digital building blocks such as digital identity, payment systems, consent-based data exchange, GIS, analytics dashboards, grievance redressal and secure APIs. This approach reduces duplication, improves interoperability and accelerates service delivery.
Digital transformation should ultimately be judged by outcomes, including reduced processing time, improved compliance, fewer citizen visits, and data-driven decision-making. Institutions such as UPDESCO play a vital role by standardizing procurement, supporting solution design, and ensuring scalability, security, and sustainability.
Key implementation priorities include:
- Creating a common enterprise architecture to enable seamless interoperability across government
- Promoting API-based integration and shared digital platforms to deliver a unified citizen experience.
- Strengthening project governance through milestone reviews, independent audits and outcome-based performance monitoring.
- Building specialised technical capacity in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, GIS and data analytics across government.
- Ensuring citizen-centric digital services through multilingual interfaces, accessibility standards and assisted service delivery.
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Digital infrastructure forms the backbone of a modern economy. What are Uttar Pradesh’s key priorities for developing a robust and scalable technology infrastructure?
Digital infrastructure today is an essential economic utility. Uttar Pradesh is focused on building reliable, secure, and scalable infrastructure that reaches both urban and rural areas.
Our priorities include expanding broadband and fibre connectivity, strengthening cloud and data centre infrastructure, improving disaster recovery capabilities and supporting AI-ready computing infrastructure.
The State’s IT & ITeS Policy and Data Centre Policy provide attractive incentives for investment, while Noida-Greater Noida has emerged as a leading data centre hub. At the same time, we are encouraging growth in regions such as Bundelkhand and Purvanchal.
Infrastructure development is also being aligned with electronics manufacturing, semiconductor initiatives and sustainable practices, including renewable energy adoption and energy-efficient data centres.
With increasing dependence on digital platforms, cybersecurity and data protection have become crucial. How is the State strengthening trust and security in its digital ecosystem?
Trust is fundamental to digital governance. Cybersecurity must be integrated into every stage of project development through a security-by-design approach.
Departments need clear data governance practices, secure architectures, vulnerability assessments and well-defined incident response mechanisms. The State is strengthening Security Operations Centres, threat intelligence, cyber monitoring and coordination with agencies such as CERT-In.
Technology alone is not sufficient. Continuous employee training, multi-factor authentication, secure coding practices, vendor risk management and citizen awareness programmes are equally important.
As AI adoption increases, responsible data governance, privacy protection, transparency and human oversight will remain central to maintaining public trust.
Key focus areas include:
- Implementing security-by-design across all critical government digital platforms.
- Strengthening 24×7 cyber monitoring through Security Operations Centres and coordinated incident response
- Conducting regular security audits, vulnerability assessments and disaster recovery drills for critical applications.
- Establishing common cybersecurity standards for cloud platforms, APIs, mobile applications, IoT systems and AI solutions.
- Promoting cyber awareness and digital safety among government employees, businesses and citizens.
Uttar Pradesh is witnessing rapid growth in technology adoption at the grassroots level. How is the State working towards making digital transformation more inclusive?
Digital transformation should reduce barriers rather than create new ones. Our approach is “digital-first but not digital-only.”
Services are being made available through online platforms as well as assisted channels such as Common Service Centres and local government offices. User interfaces are increasingly multilingual, accessible and designed for low-bandwidth environments.
Digital literacy is another major focus. Citizens need practical skills to access government services, digital payments, telemedicine and online education. Women, farmers, rural youth and vulnerable communities receive special attention through targeted programmes.
Initiatives like DigiShakti, along with expanded connectivity and digital public services, are helping ensure that technology creates both social inclusion and economic opportunity.
Collaboration between government and technology stakeholders is essential for innovation. How can industry partnerships accelerate Uttar Pradesh’s digital development goals?
Innovation succeeds when government, industry, and academia work together. The government provides policy direction and scale, industry contributes technology and execution capabilities, while academic institutions build talent and research.
Uttar Pradesh has created a comprehensive policy ecosystem covering IT, startups, electronics, semiconductors, data centres and Global Capability Centres (GCCs), encouraging investment across the technology value chain.
We envision partnerships that go beyond outsourcing through innovation challenges, regulatory sandboxes, Centres of Excellence and collaborative pilot projects in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, mobility and cybersecurity.
Institutions including IIT Kanpur, IIT (BHU), IIIT Allahabad and IIM Lucknow have an important role in research, innovation and talent development, while startups and MSMEs can drive grassroots innovation.
From a strategic implementation perspective, what emerging opportunities do you see for Uttar Pradesh in the next phase of digital growth?
The next phase is about transforming Uttar Pradesh into a producer of technology rather than only a consumer. Artificial Intelligence will be a major growth driver, supported by the proposed AI City in Lucknow, which aims to bring together AI infrastructure, research, startups and industry.
The State is promoting responsible AI adoption in agriculture, healthcare, education, governance, policing and urban management while ensuring transparency, privacy and human oversight.
Equally important are investments in data centres, cloud infrastructure, electronics manufacturing and semiconductor ecosystems, supported by large-scale skilling initiatives in AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing and advanced engineering.
Our long-term vision is to develop specialised regional technology hubs: Noida for IT and data centres, Lucknow for AI and governance technology, Kanpur for advanced engineering, and other cities for startups, digital services and innovation, creating employment opportunities across the State.