It is no surprise that Uttar Pradesh is now aggressively pursuing global capability centres (GCCs), targeting sectors such as artificial intelligence, fintech, electronics manufacturing, data centres, research and development, and IT services.
Amid growing competition among states, UP believes that the next phase of growth will be driven by emerging cities rather than traditional metropolitan hubs.
The state’s ambitious goal is to attract 500 GCCs by 2031.
In this regard, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has taken the state's technology and investment pitch to India’s Silicon Valley, launching the Uttar Pradesh Global Growth Dialogue 2026 to intensify efforts to attract investments.
The broader vision is to develop Lucknow and Noida into global technology hubs.
During the visit, the Chief Minister met senior executives from Google and other technology leaders to showcase the state’s evolving business ecosystem and investment opportunities.
To support this vision, the state is offering 43 million square feet of ready-to-move office space, dedicated AI and data centre parks, electronics manufacturing clusters, IT and digital services infrastructure, and single-window clearance mechanisms to reduce regulatory delays.
Why Uttar Pradesh?
During MachineCon GCC Summit 2026, AIM spoke exclusively with Alok Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of the state’s Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department, who is spearheading the state’s GCC strategy.
According to Kumar, Uttar Pradesh is preparing the ecosystem required for enterprises looking to establish global capability centres.
“The GCC race is the new gold rush,” he mentioned. “Uttar Pradesh is handing out the shovels.”
Kumar also outlined the state’s broader technology roadmap, highlighting Uttar Pradesh’s ₹225 crore AI Mission aimed at strengthening next-generation technology capabilities.
The programme will focus on building deep-tech ecosystems across AI, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, and advanced digital innovation hubs.
The state currently has the largest expressway network in India, with nine operational and 13 upcoming expressways, supported by 16 domestic airports and five international airports.
A key highlight is the Noida International Airport at Jewar, inaugurated in March 2026. It marks the first phase of India’s largest greenfield airport project spanning more than 5,000 hectares.
Officials also highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s nearly 16,000-kilometre rail network and its distinction as the first state to operationalise the National Waterway corridor, connecting Varanasi to Haldia over 1,100 kilometres, supported by nine dry ports across the state.
The logistics ecosystem is further strengthened by the East-West Dedicated Freight Corridors and six nodes of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor, significantly enhancing supply chain efficiency and manufacturing competitiveness.
The state has also developed multiple sector-focused industrial ecosystems, including the Lalitpur Pharma Park, the Medical Device Park in Greater Noida, the PM MITRA Textile Park in Lucknow-Hardoi, multimodal food parks, electronics manufacturing clusters, and data centre clusters across multiple districts.
On the regulatory front, Uttar Pradesh secured the first rank in the Deregulation 1.0 Compliance Reduction Exercise in 2024 and has been recognised as a top performer in Ease of Doing Business.
Furthermore, the state’s digital governance platform, Nivesh Mitra 3.0, has significantly simplified investment approvals.
The next-generation single-window system has streamlined more than 500 government services into nearly 200, reducing compliance requirements and accelerating project approvals.
Investors are supported through over 215 departmental integrations, dedicated sector desks, and country-specific facilitation teams.
The government also highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s demographic advantage, describing it as home to India’s largest and youngest workforce, backed by a strong ecosystem of universities, higher education institutions, and skill development centres.
“Come, build with Uttar Pradesh, partner with India’s most progressive state,” CM Adityanath said while inviting investors to explore opportunities across manufacturing, technology, logistics, and services.
Speaking during the event, Amit Shetty, Chief Executive Officer, Embassy REIT, said the focus has shifted from whether India will grow to identifying where the next wave of growth will emerge.
According to Shetty, the country’s economic growth is no longer concentrated in a handful of metropolitan cities.
“India’s growth story is no longer confined to a few established metros. It is expanding across new corridors, new cities and new centres of enterprise,” he said.
Shetty said that India’s economic transformation will increasingly be powered by commercial infrastructure that enables businesses to scale.
He noted that as India’s first publicly invested REIT and one of Asia’s leading office platforms, the company has witnessed firsthand how quality infrastructure drives business expansion.
Growth Above and Beyond
Shetty argued that India’s next decade of growth will be defined by emerging cities rather than traditional metropolitan hubs.
He highlighted Noida and Greater Noida as already established business and technology hubs within the National Capital Region, supported by expressways, metro connectivity, proximity to Delhi, the upcoming Jewar International Airport, and a growing ecosystem of technology, electronics, and services companies.
“This region is becoming one of North India’s most compelling commercial growth corridors.”
He also pointed to Lucknow as another city undergoing rapid transformation.
Cognizant, present at the event, highlighted its long-standing presence in India and growing confidence in Uttar Pradesh as a technology and talent destination.
The company’s journey in Uttar Pradesh began in 2015 through a small acquisition involving approximately 2,500 employees. Over the past decade, its operations in Noida have expanded to more than 10,000 employees, with another 10,000 professionals located across other parts of India.
The Noida centre today delivers a wide range of global technology services spanning digital engineering, AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise technology solutions.
Over the last three years, the company’s Noida operations have generated ₹4,650 crore in cumulative exports, while continuing to recruit talent annually from more than 150 educational institutions.
Highlighting the region’s growing importance, the company stated, “The growth reflects our confidence in Uttar Pradesh and the NCR region as increasingly competitive hubs of talent, infrastructure and business operations.”
On the state’s GCC policy, Cognizant highlighted four provisions that stand out from an industry perspective.
“The capital subsidy is substantial—25% of eligible capital investment up to ₹25 crore. The operational expenditure subsidy covering lease rentals, bandwidth and payroll linked to local and inclusive hiring, and most importantly, the flexibility to structure these incentives for larger enterprises on a case-by-case basis,” it added.
However, the company stressed that successful implementation remains critical.
“From an industry perspective, the key expectation is that the element of incentive-making and policy-making really matches the strength of execution, which is very vital in implementing such progressive policies.”
Cognizant also welcomed the state’s investments in AI infrastructure, particularly initiatives such as the proposed AI City in Lucknow. It said AI is creating entirely new categories of technology jobs within its own organisation.
IBM Sees Uttar Pradesh as a Future Technology Hub
Tejaswini Rajwade, Chief Financial Officer, IBM India and South Asia, said regions that combine scale, talent, infrastructure, and governance would define the next phase of economic growth.
According to IBM, predictability and execution speed have become key factors influencing global investment decisions.
“For global companies, investment decisions are ultimately driven by predictability and operational velocity. Businesses need confidence that projects can move from concept to implementation efficiently and at scale.”
Highlighting IBM’s own investments, Rajwade said, “Earlier this year, IBM had the privilege of launching the AI GovTech Innovation Center in Lucknow in partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh.”
Building on that collaboration, IBM has also announced a new software laboratory in Lucknow focused on Generative AI and Agentic AI.
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