UP to back 50 AI start-ups in Lucknow over five years as HCL expands IT City

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, that the state government will back at least 50 artificial intelligence start-ups based in Lucknow over the next five years. He made the announcement in Lucknow at an event marking ten years of HCLTech's campus in the city, where he also launched the second phase of the company's HCL IT City project. The chief minister said the state would support these young companies from the day they are set up, through the stage when they grow stronger, and on to the point where they can sell in global markets.

For years, the story of Indian technology start-ups has been told through Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Founders in state capitals such as Lucknow have often had to move to those hubs to find investors, mentors, specialist engineers and large customers. A state government publicly committing to a specific number of AI companies in its own capital is an attempt to change that pattern, by building the support system at home rather than exporting talent.

The announcement also ties start-up policy to an anchor employer. Large technology campuses tend to train engineers who later leave to found companies, and they can become early customers or partners for local firms. By pairing the start-up target with HCLTech's expansion and a student training programme, the state is trying to grow the three things young AI companies need most in one place: skilled people, office space and demand.

Adityanath said he wants Lucknow to move beyond being a centre for IT services and become a hub for AI, semiconductors, cyber security, computing and other deep-tech fields. Uttar Pradesh's new start-up policy already identifies Noida and Lucknow as deep-tech hubs, so the 50-company target gives that policy a measurable goal for the capital.

There is an important gap. The public statements did not say how much money will be set aside for the 50 start-ups, how they will be chosen, or which agency will run the programme. Founders will need those details before the plan can be judged.

Short-term: AI founders and early-stage teams in Lucknow and nearby districts should watch for the selection process, application windows and the form of support, such as grants, office space, mentoring or government pilot orders. Students at local colleges gain a route into AI training through the HCLTech programme.

Long-term: If the state delivers funding and customers, not just announcements, Lucknow could keep more of its engineering graduates and draw founders from smaller towns across Uttar Pradesh who might otherwise head to Bengaluru or Noida. Success would be measured by how many of the 50 firms raise outside capital, win paying clients and sell abroad within five years.

Who is affected: AI and deep-tech founders in Lucknow and wider Uttar Pradesh, engineering students in the region, incubators and investors looking beyond the metros, and job seekers who could benefit from the new IT campus capacity.

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