Lucknow, Jun 7 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday set a target of developing more than 2 gigawatts (GW) of additional data centre capacity in the state by 2030, asserting that data, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure are the key foundations of future economy.
During a review of the Uttar Pradesh Data Centre Policy-2021, the chief minister directed officials to formulate a new policy that is more attractive, practical, and aligned with investors’ expectations.
“Data, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure are the key foundations of the future economy. Therefore, Uttar Pradesh must begin making concrete preparations now to assume a leading role in this sector,” he said.
He emphasized that the proposed policy should prioritize AI-enabled data centres, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable green data centres, world-class digital infrastructure, fast-track approval mechanisms, uninterrupted power supply, and enhanced connectivity, so that UP can emerge as the most preferred destination for data centre investments in the country.
At the meeting, the principal secretary (IT and electronics) informed the chief minister that the state is expected to account for approximately 8 to 9 per cent of the country’s total data centre capacity by 2026.
He said that under the Data Centre Policy-2021, the state had set a target of developing 900 MW of capacity and attracting investments worth Rs 30,000 crore. Against this target, investment proposals worth Rs 21,342.90 crore have already been approved, and Letters of Comfort have been issued to investors.
At present, six data centre parks and two standalone data centre units are operational in the state, while work is progressing on a committed capacity of 644 MW.
Discussing various provisions of the proposed new Data Centre Policy, the chief minister stated that incentives related to land, capital, and loans, along with concessions on stamp duty, electricity duty, transmission charges, and wheeling charges, should be made even more effective.
He also directed officials to develop a special incentive framework to promote high-capacity AI-based computing infrastructure.
Officials informed the meeting about the progress of ongoing projects in the state, noting that several major companies, including the Hiranandani Group, NTT Global Data Centers, Adani Group, ST Telemedia, SKVR Software Solutions, WebWerks, and Sify, are currently implementing projects. These initiatives are contributing significantly to the development of large-scale digital infrastructure in UP.
The meeting also reviewed potential investment proposals.
Officials stated that several national and international investors have expressed interest in developing data centres with a combined capacity of 5,410 MW in the state. These projects are expected to attract potential investments of approximately Rs 4.90 lakh crore.
Proposed investments include projects from major investors such as AM Green, Trifecta Connex, Essar, Groo Energy, Golden State Capital, Mapletree, CtrlS, and Nxtra, among others.
Opportunities for these investments are being developed across various locations, including Noida, Yamuna Expressway region, Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Meerut, and Sitapur.
“Data centre development should not remain confined to the NCR region alone. Data centre clusters should also be developed in other suitable cities and regions across the state so that the benefits of digital investments and employment opportunities can reach a larger part of Uttar Pradesh,” the chief minister said. PTI NAV KVK KVK
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