Uttar Pradesh is strengthening its journey towards becoming a leading digital and technology hub through progressive policies, robust infrastructure, and a strong focus on innovation, investment, and digital governance. Shri Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary, Department of IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh, shares his insights on the State’s technology roadmap, digital growth strategy, and vision for a future-ready digital ecosystem in an exclusive interaction with Ritika Srivastava and Sahaj Anand of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited excerpts:
Uttar Pradesh is rapidly strengthening its digital ecosystem. How is the State leveraging technology and innovation to transform governance and enhance citizen-centric services?
Uttar Pradesh has adopted a technology-driven governance model focused on transparency, efficiency, and citizen-centric service delivery. Through the e-District platform, the State is delivering 359 G2C services across 56 departments, while WhatsApp-based citizen services are further improving accessibility and ease of service delivery. Common Service Centres (CSC) 3.0 are expanding
digital services in rural and underserved areas, ensuring greater inclusion, last-mile connectivity, and improved access to government services.
The state has also strengthened its ease of doing business through Nivesh Mitra 3.0 by re-engineering approval processes, reducing compliance requirements, and integrating services across departments; it delivers a seamless and transparent end-to-end digital experience for investors. More than a single-window portal, it reflects our commitment to leveraging technology to make governance faster, more efficient, and investor-centric.
In addition, 147 government documents are now available digitally under the DigiLocker initiative, supporting secure verification and paperless governance. The Family ID Programme has further enabled targeted welfare delivery, accurate beneficiary identification, and evidence-based policymaking through a unified digital database.
The Department of IT & Electronics is driving several technology initiatives across the State. What are the key focus areas for building a strong and future-ready digital infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh?
Uttar Pradesh’s strategy for building a future-ready digital infrastructure is centred around four key pillars. The State’s strong connectivity backbone—including the highest number of airports in India, the country’s largest expressway and road network, and India’s first Rapid Rail system- provides investors with confidence that extends beyond fiscal incentives.
In the area of compute infrastructure, Uttar Pradesh currently has 130 MW of operational data centre capacity. Through its latest Data Centre Policy and a dedicated Data Centre Cluster, the State is targeting 2 GW of capacity with investments exceeding 2 lakh crore, alongside a State Data Centre that will support AI, cloud services, and secure digital governance. Government-supported plug-and-play facilities will offer affordable Grade-A office spaces and shared technology infrastructure, lowering entry barriers for startups and expanding the innovation ecosystem beyond Noida.
At the same time, the UP Private Business Parks Development Scheme (DBFOT model), together with the IT & ITeS Policy and Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy, is strengthening Uttar Pradesh’s position as a preferred destination for technology companies and Global Capability Centers.
Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and automation are reshaping governance. How is Uttar Pradesh preparing to integrate these technologies for improved efficiency and service delivery?
The State’s approach is to integrate AI into governance in a purposeful and scalable manner by building robust digital infrastructure, institutional capabilities, talent ecosystems, and high-impact use cases across departments.
- A dedicated UP AI Mission, backed by a budgetary outlay of 2,000 crore, along with the proposed UP AI Stack, will establish the foundation for secure, scalable, and interoperable AI adoption across government departments.
- Uttar Pradesh will establish three AI Centres of Excellence in partnership with leading academic institutions while developing AI Data Labs across identified ITIs to create a future-ready AI talent
- The proposed AI City in Lucknow will serve as a dedicated hub for AI research, innovation, startups, and enterprise adoption.
- Complementing these initiatives, the State is also developing a Robotics Cluster in Noida to promote automation, encourage innovation, and strengthen capabilities in next-generation manufacturing.
Uttar Pradesh has been promoting startups, innovation, and investment in the technology sector. What steps are being taken to nurture entrepreneurship and create new opportunities for the digital economy?
The State’s focus is on building a complete startup ecosystem, from ideation and incubation to funding, market access, and global expansion, so that entrepreneurs
can successfully build and scale their ventures from Uttar Pradesh. To strengthen the institutional framework, the UP Startup Mission is being established as the nodal agency for startup promotion, while the UP Startup Policy 2026 will provide a comprehensive roadmap for innovation and entrepreneurship.
A dedicated ₹1,000 crore UP Startup Fund is enabling startups to access growth capital, catalyse private investment, and support high-potential ventures as they scale. With 22,000+ DPIIT-recognised startups and 76 functional incubators, Uttar Pradesh already has a strong innovation ecosystem, which will be further strengthened through the establishment of two DeepTech Hubs in Noida and Lucknow. These hubs will provide world-class infrastructure, industry-led mentorship, and specialised support for AI and other emerging technology startups. The State also plans to strengthen startup market access through preferential procurement reforms, enabling innovative startups to participate more effectively in government procurement and scale their solutions.
The 3rd National Digital Innovation Summit aims to bring together stakeholders from across the technology ecosystem. What key outcomes do you anticipate from this platform?
The Summit serves as a significant platform to bring together industry leaders, investors, startups, academia, and government to shape the next phase of India’s digital growth story.
We expect the Summit to translate meaningful dialogue into tangible outcomes, including new investments, strategic partnerships, innovation collaborations, and talent development initiatives. It also offers an excellent opportunity to showcase Uttar Pradesh’s progressive policy reforms, robust infrastructure, skilled talent pool, and rapidly evolving technology ecosystem to a national and global audience.
Most importantly, we hope the Summit further reinforces Uttar Pradesh‘s position as a trusted, investment-ready, and execution-focused technology destination, while creating new opportunities that contribute to the State’s vision of becoming a $1 trillion economy.