Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s largest state, is planning to establish the country’s first AI city in Lucknow to foster and promote the AI ecosystem. The government intends to allocate 40 acre in the Nadarganj Industrial Area for this project, which is free from encumbrances and facilitates land acquisition, zoning regulations and other necessary clearances.
Lucknow already hosts Centers of Excellence (COEs) in areas such as AI and MedTech, with substantial AI integration. The AI COE at IIIT Lucknow supports over 15 AI/ML start-ups, contributing to a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. The AI city aims to become a hub for idea generation and the development of the future workforce by integrating state-of-the-art technology, research centers and educational institutions.
The UP Electronics Corporation, the nodal agency for the project, has issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) inviting real estate developers to develop and operate the AI city. The developer will create office infrastructure based on plug-and-play facilities, including a tower with Grade A office space for incubators, start-ups, and corporates. To support the developer, financial incentives will be offered, including one-time Capital Expenditure (Capex) support of 25% up to Rs 20 crore for IT Park and Rs 100 crore for IT City. Additionally, there will be a 100% stamp duty exemption as per the IT and ITeS Policy, 2022.
The EoI document outlines the inclusion of a mix of luxury and affordable housing residential complexes to promote a walk-to-work model in the AI City. Dedicated spaces for top engineering and management institutes will be provided to encourage industry-academic collaboration, along with AI-enabled internal modes of transport.
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