Union minister pitches UP as AI, semiconductor hub

GREATER NOIDA: Union minister of state for commerce and industry Jitin Prasada said on Saturday that Uttar Pradesh is moving beyond electronics manufacturing to establish itself as a major hub for artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and technology

GREATER NOIDA: Union minister of state for commerce and industry Jitin Prasada said on Saturday that Uttar Pradesh is moving beyond electronics manufacturing to establish itself as a major hub for artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and technology.

The minister was addressing a session titled ‘UP’s Journey from Electronics Leader to AI and Semiconductor Powerhouse’ (Sunil Ghosh / HT)

The minister was addressing a session titled “UP’s Journey from Electronics Leader to AI and Semiconductor Powerhouse” on the second day of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show (UPITS) at India Expo Centre and Mart.

Prasada said Uttar Pradesh was developing an ecosystem spanning research, innovation, manufacturing and exports to attract investments from India and abroad.

“The day is not far when UP will be prominently mentioned in discussions on investment in India and across the world. The government’s objective is to make UP a major hub for technology, innovation, research and manufacturing, and the necessary ecosystem for this is being developed rapidly across the state,” he said.

Prasada said the transformation was being driven by the Centre’s vision under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. “Technology and trade are two important engines of the country’s growth journey, and UP can achieve new heights through them,” he said.

Citing investments by Samsung and Yotta, along with data centres, AI laboratories and other technology infrastructure, Prasada said these reflected the emergence of a new industrial ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh.

He said India needed to move beyond assembling electronic products towards manufacturing components, adding that the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) could help accelerate this transition.

Prasada also called on industries to focus on building competitive and self-sustaining businesses rather than relying solely on government incentives and subsidies. While the government could provide land, policies, approvals and infrastructure, long-term success would depend on companies developing their own competitiveness, he said.

On AI adoption, he said the technology should be used to improve productivity, efficiency and cost competitiveness, particularly among micro, small and medium enterprises. “If an MSME reduces its costs or increases productivity through AI, that would represent the real benefit of technology,” he said, stressing the need to prepare young people as AI innovators, researchers and technology adopters.

He also called for stronger collaboration between research institutions, including IIT Kanpur, and industry to translate research into commercial applications.

During the discussion, UP principal secretary (IT and electronics) Alok Kumar said the state was looking to expand global capability centres (GCCs) beyond Noida to Lucknow and Kanpur. He said some GCCs had already started operations in Lucknow and that the state’s GCC and IT policies had been strengthened to attract more companies.

The second day of UPITS also featured a solid waste management seminar addressed by urban development and energy minister AK Sharma, who called for scientific waste processing and greater use of waste-to-energy, compressed biogas and recycling to improve urban cleanliness and create employment opportunities.

Separately, the Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission pavilion showcased 16 skills through live demonstrations and interactive activities, while more than 100 school students participated in a Model United Nations exercise on global trade, AI and supply chains under the theme “Viksit Bharat 2047”.