UP to become India's No. 1 tech hub: Jitin Prasada
Greater Noida, Sep 26 (UNI) union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said Uttar Pradesh is no longer limited to being an electronics manufacturing hub and is rapidly emerging as a leading state in artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, electronics, technology and innovation.
"Uttar Pradesh is poised to become the country's next growth engine," he said. Prasada made the remarks while addressing a session titled "UP's Journey from Electronics Leader to AI and Semiconductor Powerhouse" at UPITS here on Saturday. He said the day is not far when Uttar Pradesh would figure prominently in discussions on investment in India and globally.
The government's goal, he said, is to establish the state as a major hub for technology, innovation, research and manufacturing, with the necessary ecosystem developing rapidly. Prasada said the transformation underway in Uttar Pradesh is clearly visible under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national vision and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's leadership. He said better coordination between the Centre and the state under the "double-engine government" is accelerating this transformation.
Technology and trade, he said, are two important engines of the country's development, and Uttar Pradesh could achieve new heights by leveraging both. The union minister said the focus is no longer on limiting investment to Noida but on creating opportunities in electronics and technology across other parts of Uttar Pradesh as well. This, he said, would directly benefit the state's youth. He cited investments by companies such as Samsung and Yota, along with data centres, AI labs and other technology infrastructure, as examples of the new ecosystem emerging in the state.
The government, he said, is working to develop the entire value chain, from design and semiconductor components to electronics manufacturing and exports. Prasada said India would no longer remain a country primarily involved in product assembly. Through initiatives such as the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme, the country is moving towards greater component manufacturing, he said, adding that Uttar Pradesh can play a key role in this transformation.
The world has already recognised India's capabilities in design and its pool of talent, he said, but these strengths needed to be complemented by stronger manufacturing capabilities. Manufacturing semiconductor and electronic products in Uttar Pradesh for domestic and global markets, he added, is an important part of this vision. The union minister also told industry that government incentives and subsidies should be viewed as tools to accelerate growth, while the long-term success of companies would depend on their competitiveness.
"The government can provide land, policies, approvals and facilities, but industries ultimately have to become competitive and self-sustaining," he said. He said the Uttar Pradesh government is working proactively and with a focus on good governance by understanding the requirements of industry. Providing investors with a safe and stable policy environment, he said, is essential for enabling long-term investment decisions. Prasada said Uttar Pradesh should use AI not merely to adopt new technology but to improve productivity, efficiency and cost competitiveness. If an MSME could reduce costs or increase productivity through AI, he said, that would represent the real benefit of the technology.
He stressed the need to prepare young people to become AI innovators, researchers and adopters, while also calling for stronger collaboration between research institutions, including IIT Kanpur, and industry. Prasada said Uttar Pradesh is at a crucial point of opportunity and that planning for the coming years to begin now to ensure that the state's young generation has access to an ecosystem capable of establishing Uttar Pradesh as a leading technology and manufacturing hub.
Meanwhile, Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary, IT and Electronics, Uttar Pradesh, said that alongside developing the state's electronics and semiconductor ecosystem, special focus is being placed on mobile manufacturing and Global Capability Centres (GCCs). GCCs are already present in Noida, while some have also begun operations in Lucknow, he said. He noted that Lucknow is home to several IT and technology companies, including IBM. The state's GCC and IT policies have been strengthened in line with those of other states, and IT and IT-enabled services (ITES) have already been granted industry status.
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