Yogi Cabinet Clears Deep Tech U-Hubs in Lucknow & Noida, Driving AI and Robotics Growth

In mid of last month, Uttar Pradesh (UP) announced a major deep‑tech expansion with the PRAGATI (Park for Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, GPU Clusters and Advanced Technical Innovation) robotics and AI hub in Noida and new U Hubs in Noida and Lucknow.

On Tuesday, UP Cabinet has approved the establishment of “Deep Tech U-Hubs” in Lucknow and Noida, aiming to position the state as a national leader in AI, robotics, and emerging technologies. These hubs will serve as integrated centres for startups, research, and advanced data infrastructure, with the goal of creating thousands of jobs and fostering innovation.

The “U” in U-Hub stands for Uttar Pradesh, symbolizing the state’s dedicated innovation and startup ecosystem initiative. The “U” also reflects the focus on Udyamita (entrepreneurship), encouraging youth to become job creators rather than job seekers. The government brands it as “U-Hub” to highlight that these hubs are specifically designed to empower Uttar Pradesh’s youth and entrepreneurs.

The Lucknow centre will be developed for application-based AI, biotechnology, healthcare, industrial AI, agriculture technology, and diagnostics.

The Noida centre will be developed for autonomous and advanced computing, semiconductor design and OSAT, fintech AI and robotics, as well as processing and high-tech industries.

For the establishment of U-Hub, an initial capital provision of ₹100 crore has been allocated for the financial year 2026-27, including ₹70 crore for capital expenditure and ₹30 crore for operational expenditure. Financial support of approximately ₹387.5 crore has been proposed for a period of three years.

Infrastructure development will be implemented in a phased manner.

Key Highlights of the Deep Tech U-Hub Initiative

• Approval by Yogi Cabinet: Decision taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by CM Yogi Adityanath, reflecting the state’s push toward deep-tech ecosystems.
• Locations: Lucknow & Noida: Two cities chosen for connectivity, talent pool, and IT/AI infrastructure.
• Focus Areas: AI, Robotics, Data Centres, Cloud Infrastructure, Quantum Computing, Biotech.
• Startup Ecosystem: Incubation, mentorship, and funding support for startups with academia-industry-government collaboration.
• Job Creation: Expected to generate over 1 lakh jobs across technology and research sectors.

Strategic Importance

City	Focus
Lucknow	Governance & policy hub; AI-driven public services, health-tech, administrative innovation.
Noida	IT corridor; global-standard data centres, robotics labs, private-sector partnerships.

UP to Build AI & Quantum Hubs in Noida, Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh has announced a major deep‑tech expansion with the PRAGATI (Park for Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, GPU Clusters and Advanced Technical Innovation) robotics and AI hub in Noida and new U Hubs in Noida and Lucknow, featuring physical AI data centres, quantum computing labs, and startup incubation spaces. Together, these projects aim to generate over one lakh jobs and position the state as a national leader in advanced technologies.

Uttar Pradesh has been steadily building a network of AI and deep‑tech hubs beyond the newly announced PRAGATI project and U Hubs in Noida and Lucknow. These centres are designed to spread innovation across the state rather than concentrating it in one region.

Key Projects

• PRAGATI Project

• Location: 75 acres in Noida.
• Facilities: Robotics testing & certification, rapid prototyping, AI compute infrastructure, GPU clusters, motion‑capture labs, physical AI data centre, startup incubation, co‑working spaces.
• Economic Impact: Expected to generate ₹2,000+ crore gross value addition and 1 lakh+ jobs in five years.

• U Hubs

• Locations: Noida and Lucknow.
• Budget: ₹100 crore allocated for FY 2026‑27.
• Focus Areas:
  – Noida: Quantum computing, semiconductor design, robotics, defence tech, advanced biotechnology.
  – Lucknow: Applied AI, GovTech, healthcare AI, biosciences, agri‑biotech.
• Objective: Connect startups, researchers, investors, and academia to accelerate commercialisation of emerging technologies.

Strategic Rationale

Location	Advantages
Noida	Strong electronics manufacturing base, proximity to Jewar Airport, freight corridor, defence industrial corridor, robust academic/industrial ecosystem.
Lucknow	Administrative capital, focus on applied AI for governance, healthcare, and agriculture; designed to balance regional tech growth.

Broader Vision

• National Leadership: CM Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to make UP a global centre for robotics, AI, quantum computing, and semiconductors.
• Skill Development: Future‑skills training programs will prepare youth for frontier technologies.
• Investor Focus: Revised IT policy aims to attract global tech leaders and reduce dependence on imported technologies.

Challenges & Risks

• Implementation Timelines: Success depends on land allocation, MoUs with global firms, and industry participation.
• Talent Pipeline: Requires aggressive upskilling in AI, robotics, and semiconductor design to meet demand.
• Global Competition: Must compete with Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and international hubs for investment and talent.

Why It Matters

• For Engineers & Graduates: Thousands of high‑paying jobs in AI, robotics, semiconductors, and biotech.
• For Startups: Access to incubation, co‑working, and funding opportunities.
• For Industry: A complete ecosystem linking manufacturing, R&D, and advanced digital services.

Other AI & Tech Hubs in UP

Lucknow CoE (StartinUP) focuses on AI, Blockchain, IoT, Robotics, Big Data, Clean‑tech, Edu‑tech, Agri‑tech, and Health‑tech. Backed by the IT & Electronics Department, it incubates over 100 product‑based startups with world‑class R&D infrastructure.

Noida STPI Hub specializes in electronics design, IT services, fintech, and cybersecurity. Supported by Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and industry partners, it serves as a startup incubation hub for IT and electronics, leveraging NCR’s tech ecosystem.

Greater Noida University CoE emphasizes AI, Data Science, and Cloud Computing. Built through academic‑industry partnerships with Galgotias University, it focuses on skill development and applied research.

Kanpur IIT CoEs cover aerospace, materials science, AI, and cybersecurity. They include the National Centre for Flexible Electronics and advanced AI labs, with strong industry‑academia collaboration under the Government of India.

Gorakhpur CoE is dedicated to AI, cybersecurity, data science, drones, and 3D printing. Supported by the TCS Foundation and Tata Group, it is the first Centre of Excellence in Eastern UP, inaugurated in April 2026.

Beyond AI hubs, Uttar Pradesh is driving a massive wave of projects in 2026 — from the Jewar International Airport and Ganga Expressway to record infrastructure investments in power, water, and roads, plus tourism and high‑speed rail corridors.

Uttar Pradesh Bets on Space Future with Shukla Scholarship, Science University, and Space Park

Uttar Pradesh has announced a major science push – a new scholarship named after astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, alongside plans for a dedicated space park in Lucknow and a science university. These initiatives aim to nurture talent in space technology and expand public access to science education.

Key Highlights

Shubhanshu Shukla Scholarship

• Purpose: To support students pursuing careers in space technology and advanced sciences.
• Launch Year: Expected to begin in the 2026–27 financial year.
• Eligibility: Students in technical fields such as M.Tech and space sciences.
• Background: Shubhanshu Shukla, a Lucknow-born astronaut, became the first Indian in four decades to travel to space in 2025. His achievement inspired the scholarship.

Space Park in Lucknow

• Planned Facilities:
  • Science parks and observatories for public engagement.
  • A space park designed to showcase space technology, research, and interactive exhibits.
• Objective: To make Lucknow a hub for space education and tourism, encouraging curiosity among students and the general public.

Proposed Science University

• Focus Areas: Advanced research in space sciences, physics, and technology innovation.
• Goal: To position Uttar Pradesh as a national leader in scientific education and research.
• Integration: Likely to collaborate with existing institutions and leverage Shukla’s expertise for curriculum development.

Why This Matters

• For Students: Provides financial support and recognition, reducing barriers for those interested in space technology.
• For Uttar Pradesh: Enhances the state’s profile in India’s scientific landscape, aligning with national ambitions in space exploration.
• For Industry: Opens pathways for collaboration between academia, government, and private space-tech firms.

Risks & Challenges

• Funding & Implementation: Scholarships and infrastructure projects often face delays if budget allocations are insufficient.
• Accessibility: Ensuring that rural and underprivileged students benefit will be critical.
• Sustainability: Long-term success depends on consistent investment and integration with India’s broader space program.

Quick Comparison

Initiative	Launch Timeline	Target Audience	Impact Goal
Shubhanshu Shukla Scholarship	2026–27 FY	Students in space tech	Financial aid & talent development
Space Park (Lucknow)	Proposed	Public & students	Science engagement & tourism
Science University	Proposed	Researchers & students	Advanced research & education

AI Meets Governance: IBM Launches Lucknow Centre

IBM has officially announced the inauguration of its AI GovTech Innovation Centre in Lucknow on February 22, 2026. The initiative is designed to position AI as core infrastructure for modern governance, helping governments tackle rising citizen expectations, regulatory complexity, and exponential data growth.

Key Highlights

• Purpose: The centre will serve as a collaborative platform to design, validate, and scale trusted AI solutions for governance, focusing on productivity, transparency, and service delivery.
• Location: Situated at Platinum Mall in Sushant Golf City, Lucknow, the facility has a 500-seat capacity and marks IBM’s first software lab in Northern India.
• Focus Areas: Generative AI and Agentic AI technologies, with applications tailored for government and enterprise use cases.
• Leadership Presence: The inauguration was attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, and IBM India MD Sandip Patel.
• Strategic Vision: Yogi Adityanath emphasized that the centre will strengthen tech-driven governance and highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s ambitions in deep tech, robotics, drone technology, medical technology, and quantum computing.

Why It Matters

This centre positions Lucknow as a growing hub for GovTech innovation in India, aligning with the state’s roadmap to lead in AI and quantum computing. It also reflects IBM’s broader strategy to embed AI into public sector infrastructure, ensuring scalable and replicable solutions for governance worldwide.

“AI will define the next era of government effectiveness and economic competitiveness. Around the world, and especially in India, we are seeing governments move decisively from exploration to execution. It is encouraging to see this level of openness to responsible AI adoption,” said Arvind Krishna, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, IBM. “The Lucknow center brings together IBM’s global AI leadership and a strong local talent ecosystem, with proximity to leading engineering and academic institutions. Together, this enables us to translate AI ambition into measurable public impact,” he added.

InMobi Expands into Lucknow, Sets Up Base to Drive Deep-Tech Innovation for Global Markets

InMobi, a global leader in AI-powered technology, today announced the launch of a new technology centre in Lucknow, bringing the city into its global innovation network.

As one of the first global deep-tech companies to tap into Lucknow’s growing tech talent pool, the move represents a significant step in InMobi’s mission to decentralize innovation, unlock high-potential talent beyond India’s metropolitan cities, and strengthen India’s global leadership in AI and deep-tech.

The Lucknow tech centre will play a critical role in advancing innovations in cutting-edge technologies including Generative AI, Machine Learning Operations (MLOps), automation, and the development of large-scale AI infrastructure.

InMobi plans to recruit around 500 deep-tech engineers, product specialists, and data science professionals for this centre over the coming years. This investment is expected to generate over 3,000 direct and indirect job opportunities in the region — giving a major boost to state’s economy. This initiative also aligns with the Uttar Pradesh Government’s vision of making the state a $1 trillion economy by 2029.

“At InMobi, we’ve always believed that great talent isn’t confined to geography, it’s driven by mindset, ambition, and opportunity,” said Mohit Saxena, co-founder and Group CTO, InMobi and Glance. “Over the past two decades, we’ve built world-class engineering teams out of Bangalore and San Francisco, two of the most respected tech hubs globally. Now, we’re adding Lucknow to this league. It marks the beginning of a long-term movement to build a vibrant deep-tech ecosystem beyond the traditional metros. By investing in local talent, collaborating with academia, and building cutting-edge products for global markets from the heart of Uttar Pradesh, we are reshaping the innovation map of Bharat— and this is just the beginning,” Saxena added.

Lucknow is home to some of India’s finest engineering talent, with close proximity to several premier institutions such as IIT Kanpur, IIIT Lucknow, IIM Lucknow and MNNIT Allahabad. This positions the city a strategic hub for nurturing future-ready tech capabilities. InMobi plans to collaborate with local universities and academic institutes provide hands-on product training and launch internship and upskilling programs tailored to real-world industry demands – effectively bridging the gap between academia and innovation.

“Our presence in Lucknow is a testament to our belief that talent exists everywhere — and it’s our responsibility to nurture it,” said Shefali Rai, Chief Human Resources Officer at InMobi and Glance. “Our goal is to create a workplace where people don’t have to leave their hometowns to build cutting-edge global products. By bringing InMobi’s high-performance culture, inclusive ethos, and deep-tech opportunities to emerging talent hubs, we’re enabling careers that are rooted locally but built for the world.”

InMobi’s new Lucknow office is part of the company’s broader innovation strategy and builds on its $200 million commitment to AI made earlier this year, which includes the launch of Glance AI, a revolutionary AI commerce platform that is transforming how the world shops. By decentralizing its R&D footprint, the company aims to accelerate innovation, foster inclusive talent development, and develop sustainable tech ecosystem, beyond traditional urban centers.

IBM to Set Up Software Lab in Uttar Pradesh

IBM is establishing a Software Lab in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, focusing on Generative Al and Agentic Al technologies. The lab will develop Al-powered solutions using Large Language Models (LLMs) and Small Language Models (SLMs) to address business needs in India and globally.

The facility will be located at Platinum Mall, Sushant Golf City, and will offer roles such as software engineers, application developers, technical testers, and UX designers. The Uttar Pradesh government, led by CM Yogi Adityanath, is supporting the initiative, aiming to position Lucknow as an Al hub and boost job creation.

This expansion aligns with IBM's broader strategy to strengthen India's digital ecosystem and contribute to Al-driven innovation. Given your interest in Al-driven transformations, this could be a significant development for India's tech landscape.

CM Yogi Adityanath has pledged full backing, aiming to position Lucknow as an Al city.

The lab will integrate global best practices in software engineering, design, and development to create next-gen Al solutions.

IBM already operates six Software Labs across India, including Bengaluru, Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar, Kochi, Pune, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

SGPGI, Lucknow and IIT Kanpur Join Hands To Set Up the CoE in Telemedicine and Healthcare Robotics

SGPGI, Lucknow and IIT Kanpur sign an MoU to set up the Centre of Excellence in Telemedicine and Healthcare Robotics

The CoE will facilitate an interdisciplinary approach to public health and strengthening health systems.

Medical and engineering professionals will be able to pursue courses in digital health to nurture a nuanced skill set.

The initiative aims to make affordable healthcare accessible and blur borders in the pursuit of innovation in healthcare.

Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow and IIT Kanpur signed an MoU to advance innovation in accessible healthcare through indigenous solutions. Under the MoU, the institutes will set up a Centre of Excellence in Telemedicine and Healthcare robotics to nurture smart healthcare with an overarching objective of strengthening healthcare systems. areas.

The MoU signing ceremony, held on 29th June 2021 was graced by key members from both institutes, including Prof. R. K. Dhiman, Director, SGPGI and Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar while addressing the gathering stated --

Through this initiative, two leading institutions of India will join hands to uphold their vision of a robust, indigenous healthcare system, focused on promoting interdisciplinary innovation. The MoU is a timely step in the right direction to enable an exchange of ideas across engineering and medicine, as professionals from IIT Kanpur will receive the opportunity to collaborate with specialized doctors at SGPGI, Lucknow.

Through this MoU, IIT Kanpur and SGPGI Lucknow have agreed to establish an R&D set up for promoting telemedicine aided by ICT and 5G, and point-of-care testing and diagnostics. An integrated network of mobile health vans in rural areas and smart kiosks in urban locales will ensure last-mile connectivity to ascertain availability of emergency healthcare services.

Commenting on the initiative’s vision, Prof. R. K. Dhiman said --

We will jointly launch courses in various fields of Digital Health which is not available in any engineering and medical educational institutions in the country at the moment. Current Corona pandemic has made telemedicine technology very popular and useful tool to bridge the gap between care providers and citizen so there is a need to develop indigenous technology platform and systems in large scale which can be affordable and made available widely. This will promote entrepreneurship and develop a rural health system which can be deployed far and wide to strengthen the health system. The future holds the key for hybrid healthcare system for which the bond between engineering and medical discipline needs to be strengthened. In that context the timing of handshake between the two major institutions is appropriate which is going to yield immense benefit to the society.

Role of IIT Kanpur

Any telemedicine system is about creating a network of expected beneficiaries and medical experts and integrating them together in a digital platform. A cost-effective platform consisting of hardware sensors and IOT controller devices needs to be developed for collecting patient health data. The system has to be integrated with cloud servers and mobile apps. In this regard, the role of IIT Kanpur will include:

Development of such portable IoT enabled health care systems along with point-of-care testing and diagnostics.

Designing customized mobile vans and kiosks equipped with AI-based diagnostics.

Integrating multi-lingual avatars with systems to give patients the feel of the presence of a doctor or a care giver. The avatars would especially be essential for patients with mental health disorders and elderly care.

Role of SGPGI, Lucknow

SGPGIMS, Lucknow has set up a School of Telemedicine & Biomedical Informatics in the year 2006 with the objective of teaching and training healthcare personnel and clinical engineers tools and strategies of ICT-enabled health care. It has received a major Grant-in-Aid from Ministry of Electronics & IT, Govt. of India in 2007 to elevate the school to a National Resource Centre in Telemedicine & Biomedical Informatics which was continued for five years.

Later from the year 2007 till date the facility and trained technical human power has been supported by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India to develop and manage the National Medical College Network as the national resource centre.

With the collaboration with IIT Kanpur & the Centre of Excellence, the engineering aspects of clinical application of digital technologies can be addressed. Backed with two decades of experience in application-oriented telemedicine research, development, and deployment, SGPGI’s collaboration with IIT Kanpur will foster synergies to cultivate an ecosystem at the intersection of technology and healthcare through capacity development.