AnyTime News 
Lucknow to Become India’s First AI City
Industry-Government Synergy Drives Growth Vision
Anytime News Network (Pooja Srivastava Hindi)
In a major push towards transforming Uttar Pradesh into a developed economic powerhouse, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Uttar Pradesh hosted its Annual Session 2025–26 and a high-level conference on “Building Viksit Uttar Pradesh” on March 17, 2026, in Lucknow. The event brought together top government officials, policymakers, and industry leaders to deliberate on the state’s growth trajectory.
During the Power & Energy session, IAS officer Narendra Bhooshan highlighted that nearly 50% of the state’s green energy targets have already been achieved, signaling a strong shift toward sustainable energy. Ashish Kumar Goel emphasized that Uttar Pradesh currently enjoys a stable power scenario with ongoing improvements in distribution efficiency.
A major highlight came from Alok Kumar, who announced that Lucknow is being developed as India’s first AI City, while Kanpur is set to emerge as a Drone City, boosting innovation and advanced manufacturing.
Manoj Kumar Singh stressed aligning with global megatrends such as digital technologies and green energy to achieve the vision of Viksit UP by 2047. In healthcare, Amit Kumar Ghosh highlighted the expansion of Ayushman Bharat and invited private sector collaboration.
Labour reforms and investment climate were also key focus areas, with M K Shanmuga Sundaram and Deepak Kumar underlining policy reforms, digitization, and investor-friendly initiatives.
CII UP Chairperson Upasana Arora reiterated the goal of making Uttar Pradesh a trillion-dollar economy. Meanwhile, Abhishek Saraff assumed charge as State Chairman, with Pranay S Garg as Vice Chairman.
The session emerged as a crucial platform shaping Uttar Pradesh’s future as a leading growth engine for India.
