Lucknow, March 16: The Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is rapidly advancing efforts to transform the state into a major digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub of the country. As part of this strategy, a plan has been prepared to develop eight data center parks across the state. Through these projects, the government aims to attract large-scale investments and generate new employment opportunities.
State plans major push for digital infrastructure
Technology experts believe that the development of these data center parks will enable Uttar Pradesh to play a significant role in India’s digital economy.
In the coming years, the state is also expected to emerge as a major centre for companies associated with AI, cloud computing and digital services.
According to the government’s plan, these data center parks will be developed in key cities including Noida, Greater Noida, the Yamuna Expressway region, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Agra.
The process of identifying and allocating land in Noida, Greater Noida and the Yamuna Expressway region has already progressed significantly. Land has been allotted to some companies, while land identification and master planning work is underway at other locations.
Major companies show investment interest
Several national and international companies have expressed interest in investing in the data center sector. Companies such as HCL Technologies, Adani Group, NTT Data, Yotta Infrastructure, Sterlite Technologies and Sify Technologies have come forward with investment proposals in the state.
Altogether, proposals worth nearly ₹2 lakh crore have been received from these companies. Memorandums of Understanding have already been signed for several projects, while others are moving toward the construction phase.
Power infrastructure and renewable energy focus
Data centers require a large amount of electricity for their operations. Keeping this in view, the state government has planned to meet a power demand of around 900 MW.
For this purpose, new substations will be established, the transmission network will be strengthened and dedicated power supply to data center parks will be ensured.
At the same time, the use of renewable energy is also being promoted to make data center operations more environmentally sustainable.
Policy incentives and employment generation
To attract investors, the government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also introduced several incentives under the state’s Data Center Policy. These include capital subsidies, concessions in electricity charges, exemption in stamp duty and government support for infrastructure development.
In addition, a single-window system has been implemented to provide faster and more transparent approvals for investors.
Also Watch:
The development of these eight data center parks is expected to create a significant number of direct and indirect employment opportunities. Around 50,000 direct jobs and a large number of indirect jobs are likely to be generated.
It is estimated that most phases of the projects will be completed within the next three to five years.
