In a significant push towards becoming a 'Digital Pradesh', Uttar Pradesh has laid out an ambitious roadmap for its Information Technology (IT) and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) sector. The state aims to more than double its contribution to India's total IT exports within the next six years.
The Ambitious Roadmap for a Digital Uttar Pradesh
The state government has set a clear, multi-stage target: increase UP's share of national IT exports from the current 5% to 10% by 2030. This is just the first milestone. The vision extends further, aiming for a 16% share by 2035 and an impressive 20% by the year 2047, aligning with the national Viksit Bharat @ 2047 initiative.
This resolve was cemented during a recent Viksit Bharat consultative workshop series, where the Department of IT and Electronics engaged with industry leaders and stakeholders to chart the course forward.
Strong Growth Foundation and Emerging Hubs
The confidence for this leap is backed by solid performance. A sectoral overview document reveals that IT exports from Uttar Pradesh have more than doubled in the past six years, surging from Rs 20,099 crore in the 2018-19 fiscal to Rs 47,856 crore in 2024-25. This translates to a robust Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17%.
While the National Capital Region (NCR) hub of Noida continues to be the primary engine of this growth, a promising trend is the rise of tier-2 cities. Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, and Varanasi are steadily emerging as key contributors to the state's IT export portfolio, indicating a healthy geographical diversification of the industry.
Harnessing Homegrown Talent and Strategic Implementation
Principal Secretary for Planning and Programme Implementation, Alok Kumar, underscored the state's unique advantage: its people. "You visit any big IT city and pick up 100 IT professionals, more than half of them will turn out to be from UP," he stated. The challenge and opportunity lie in tapping this vast talent pool effectively to fuel the state's own IT revolution.
Kumar emphasized that while UP possesses all the necessary components—talent, infrastructure potential, and policy will—the critical factor will be devising a sound strategy and ensuring its effective implementation on the ground.
A Collective Call to Action for Viksit Bharat
Awanish Awasthi, Advisor to the Chief Minister, framed the mission in generational terms. "By 2047, some of us would be gone, but what we do today will help our children and grandchildren," he told participants. He urged all stakeholders to put their "hearts and minds" into the task and provide detailed suggestions to help the government take effective steps in IT, electronics, startups, and emerging technologies.
Principal Secretary for IT and Electronics, Anurag Yadav, noted that the inputs from this wide-ranging consultation would be crucial. They will help the government refine its priorities as Uttar Pradesh accelerates its transition towards a digital governance model and a technology-led economy.
The workshop saw senior officials from key departments directly interacting with stakeholders, addressing queries, and soliciting written inputs for future policy formulation. The presence of officials from NITI Aayog and other institutions highlighted the coordinated, national importance of this development drive.
