Uttar Pradesh govt to scale up AI blueprint with network of 65 labs

Uttar Pradesh is scaling up its AI push with a planned network of 65 data and AI labs, backed by a ₹2,000-crore mission to build skills, innovation and jobs

The Uttar Pradesh government is setting up a network of 65 data & AI labs across the state, pitching the state as a future leader in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem.

 

While two of these labs are operational in Lucknow and Gorakhpur districts, another unit has been established in Pilibhit with private partnership. The government has already approved 49 data and AI labs even as the process to identify locations for the remaining 13 labs is likely to begin soon.

 

Such labs develop, research and experiment with AI, functioning as innovation hubs to build intelligent systems using machine learning (ML) and data science. 

 

The state is also employing AI in sectors including healthcare, policing, agriculture, and education.

 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced earlier that the state’s AI Mission will have an outlay of ₹2,000 crore over the next three years.

 

The India AI Mission under the central government and the UP Development Systems Corporation Limited (UPDESCO) also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to fortify the AI ecosystem.

 

“We are leveraging AI to promote skill development, encourage innovation and create new employment opportunities,” said Anurag Yadav, UP Principal Secretary, IT and Electronics Department. Kavita Bhatia, Chief Operating Officer at IndiaAI, said the state can be established as a global AI powerhouse through the startup ecosystem.

 

Neha Jain, Managing Director of UPDESCO, said the labs will be equipped with modern infrastructure and advanced technical resources.

 

The state is also planning a 70-acre AI city in Lucknow, powered with green energy including solar and green hydrogen.

 

Addressing a recent conference in Lucknow on AI in transforming healthcare, the CM also said AI could help transform governance’s reactive approach to a proactive one. 

 

In March 2024, the Union Cabinet had also approved the IndiaAI Mission in March 2024 with a budget outlay of over ₹10,371 crore over five years.