The Chief Minister's Office of Uttar Pradesh, on behalf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on 16 July 2026 issued directives to reshape the state's information technology policy with the goal of making Uttar Pradesh the country's leading centre for IT, digital services, and innovation.

Context

The Chief Minister's Office stated that CM Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to work toward positioning Uttar Pradesh as India's foremost IT, digital services, and innovation hub. In his words, 'suchna praudyogiki niti ko badalti vaishvik aavashyaktaon ke anurup adhik vyavaharik, niveshak anukool aur rozgaaronmukh banaya jae' — the information technology policy must be made 'more practical, investor-friendly and employment-oriented in line with evolving global requirements.'

The directives also emphasise simplifying, making transparent, and time-binding the processes related to land, infrastructure, and other approvals for investors — a signal that the government intends to reduce friction in setting up technology enterprises in the state.

Policy Backdrop

The push builds on Uttar Pradesh's IT and Electronics Policy 2019, which sought to attract investment and generate employment in the technology sector. The Global Investors Summit 2023 had included dedicated tracks for IT, electronics, and innovation, with a range of policy incentives announced at the time.

The latest directive goes further by explicitly linking skills development, internships, research, innovation, and patents to the revised policy framework. This signals a shift from purely attracting capital to also building indigenous technological capability among UP's large youth population.

The approach mirrors policy revisions undertaken by other large Indian states that have prioritised ease of doing business, single-window clearances, and skilling programmes to compete for technology investments.

Stakeholders and Impact

The directive names local youth as a primary beneficiary, with explicit instructions to promote skill development, internship opportunities, research, innovation, and patent filings. This is particularly significant given that Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state, with a large and growing working-age population seeking high-value employment.

IT investors and technology startups stand to benefit from the promised streamlining of land, infrastructure, and permission-related processes. Time-bound approvals, if implemented, would address one of the most frequently cited barriers to investment in the state.

Existing technology clusters in cities such as Noida and Lucknow are likely to be focal points for the revised policy's rollout, given their established IT ecosystems and connectivity with national and global markets.

What's Next

The key deliverable to watch is the rollout timeline and final text of the revised IT policy, along with any dedicated budget allocations or enhancements to single-window portal features for technology projects. Officials will need to translate the broad directives on patents, internships, and investor facilitation into specific, measurable targets.

If the revised policy is enacted with time-bound approvals and clear incentive structures, Uttar Pradesh could accelerate its transition from a state associated primarily with agriculture and traditional manufacturing to one that competes seriously for technology investment alongside states with longer-established IT ecosystems.