‘Work underway to develop India’s 1st AI city in Lucknow’: CM Yogi Adityanath

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Lucknow, Oct 6 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday that the state government is working to develop the country’s first artificial intelligence (AI) city in Lucknow and also foster an AI ecosystem in the district, urging young professionals to join the initiative.

The Chief Minister made the statement while addressing the 10th anniversary event of HCL Tech in Lucknow.

Maintaining that Uttar Pradesh’s greatest strength has been its land, Chief Minister Adityanath said: “Today, I say that alongside our precious land, we possess the youngest workforce. The talent of this young workforce is also our greatest strength.”

“HCL has now completed ten years here—marking the first milestone of a journey in which Lucknow has demonstrated to the world that, given the right opportunities, the youth of Uttar Pradesh will not lag behind anyone,” he added.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Digital India’, CM Adityanath said: “At that time, opposition parties in the country mocked the Prime Minister’s vision for Digital India. They used to laugh, saying how will this happen in India?”

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister recalled that the Opposition had also ridiculed the initiative when ‘Jan Dhan’ accounts were being opened.

“People laughed at the time, dismissing them as merely “empty accounts for the poor”. And today, DBT—Direct Benefit Transfer—has realised the dream of ‘Antyodaya’ (upliftment of the last person),” he said.

He asserted that now if funds meant for the poor are released from Delhi or Lucknow, they will go entirely into the account of the specific poor person for whom the money was intended.

“Now, no one in between can skim off any ‘cut money’. This is the marvel of technology; the marvel of Digital India. But it requires the resolve to make it happen,” CM Adityanath said.

The Chief Minister also credited HCL Tech for helping village women and self-help groups move towards self-reliance and for transforming the lives of local children through their residential campuses and schools in districts like Sitapur and Bulandshahr.

“Over the past 10-11 years, they have extended their (HCL Tech) programmes to more than 50 lakh (5 million) people and over 3,000 villages across Uttar Pradesh. This serves as an example of how the benefits of technology and development can reach even the person at the very last rung of society,” CM Adityanath said.

He added that this is important because development no longer means merely building large campuses in big cities.

The Chief Minister noted that today software companies are now looking beyond just Noida to Lucknow.

“Our IT parks are now operational in Kanpur, Prayagraj, Meerut, and Agra as well,” he said.

He mentioned that seven Software Technology Parks are currently functional with new IT parks being constructed in Varanasi, Bareilly, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur.

“This means IT is no longer confined to the National Capital Region; it is no longer limited to just that region. It has reached Eastern Uttar Pradesh and is expanding into the Bundelkhand region as well. Gautam Buddha Nagar is also home to 12 IT and ITES Special Economic Zones (SEZs),” CM Adityanath said.

“Under our new startup policy, we have decided to develop Noida and Lucknow as Deep Tech hubs, and work on this is progressing steadily. We are also working rapidly on plans to establish the country’s first AI City in Lucknow and to foster an AI ecosystem,” the Chief Minister added.

CM Adityanath urged young professionals come together to become part of this initiative to establish Lucknow as one of India’s leading innovation cities

“I have also extended an offer to HCL regarding this. (The goal is) to establish at least 50 world-class AI startups in Lucknow, strengthening them and helping them reach the global market. We are ready and committed to providing full support for building a robust innovation ecosystem,” he said.

–IANS

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Assam’s 39 lakh women entrepreneurs being empowered to turn ideas into profitable businesses: CM Sarma

Guwahati, Aug 11 (IANS) Assam government is stepping up efforts to strengthen women-led entrepreneurship in the state, with the government focusing on empowering its nearly 39 lakh-strong community of women entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into sustainable and profitable businesses, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday.

According to CM Sarma, the initiative, being pursued through the Assam Rural platform, seeks to provide women with greater opportunities to develop their entrepreneurial potential and become financially independent.

The government has highlighted the role of women, particularly those associated with rural and community-based economic activities, in driving grassroots development and strengthening household incomes.

Under the broader vision of creating a strong network of “Lakhpati Didis”, women entrepreneurs are being encouraged to move beyond traditional livelihood activities and develop enterprises with the potential to generate sustainable profits.

The focus is on helping women convert their ideas into viable businesses, while creating opportunities for income generation and economic participation at the grassroots level.

The initiative also aims to build confidence among women entrepreneurs by encouraging them to identify business opportunities, develop their products and services and expand their economic activities.

With a large network of women involved in self-help groups and rural livelihood initiatives, Assam has been placing increasing emphasis on women-led enterprises as an important component of its rural development strategy.

The government has described the 39 lakh women entrepreneurs as a “strong force” capable of contributing significantly to the state’s economic growth if provided with the right support and opportunities.

The “Lakhpati Didi” vision seeks to ensure that women are not merely beneficiaries of development programmes but emerge as active participants and entrepreneurs capable of building profitable enterprises.

Officials stated that strengthening women-led businesses can have a wider impact on rural communities by creating employment, improving family incomes and encouraging greater participation of women in local economic decision-making.

The Assam government’s latest push is therefore aimed at combining women’s entrepreneurial ideas with institutional support to create sustainable livelihoods and expand the state’s rural economy. The initiative comes amid the state’s continued focus on increasing women’s economic empowerment and creating a stronger ecosystem for grassroots entrepreneurship.

–IANS

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PMK leader Ramadoss shifted to Chennai for treatment; condition stable after fainting while campaigning

Salem, April 13 (IANS) PMK founder S. Ramadoss has been shifted to Chennai for advanced medical treatment following a health setback during the ongoing Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaign, party sources said on Monday.

According to sources, the veteran leader is expected to undergo specialised treatment at Apollo Hospitals, where a team of senior doctors will monitor his condition. He was initially admitted to a private hospital in Salem and later moved to another facility for further evaluation before the decision was taken to transfer him to Chennai.

Doctors who treated him in Salem said his condition is currently stable and under control. They attributed the health issue to physical exhaustion caused by continuous campaigning, along with age-related factors.

“He had experienced fatigue and a possible drop in blood pressure. He is now stable and recovering well,” a senior doctor said.

Medical experts have advised that Ramadoss remain under observation for at least 24 hours and take adequate rest before resuming any political activities.

Party leaders have expressed confidence that he will make a swift recovery and return to campaigning soon.

The development comes at a politically sensitive time for the PMK, which has been witnessing internal differences between Ramadoss and his son, Anbumani Ramadoss.

The father-son rift over party leadership and strategy has led to parallel political activities and differing campaign approaches, drawing attention ahead of the Assembly elections.

Ramadoss had addressed a public meeting at Pallapatti in Salem, campaigning in support of Salem West constituency candidate and sitting MLA Arul, as part of the election campaign.

However, yesterday, shortly after concluding his speech and stepping down from the stage, he suddenly fainted, causing panic among those present.

His daughter, Dr. Srikanti, along with party members, immediately rushed to his aid and arranged for his transfer to a nearby private hospital for emergency treatment.

The incident briefly disrupted the campaign schedule, even as party leaders moved quickly to ensure he received timely medical care.

–IANS

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Future City will be an investment destination, says Telangana CM

Hyderabad, March 30 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Sunday that the proposed Future City near Hyderabad will emerge as a destination for investments in the country.

Addressing the main official celebration to mark Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, at Ravindra Bharati in Hyderabad, Revanth Reddy also stated that the development of Future City will provide employment to lakhs of people.

Emphasising the need for developing new cities to propel the country’s development, he said the Future City has been planned with the vision to boost Telangana’s growth. “It will not be a mere city where people will live but it will be an investment destination,” he said.

Claiming that ‘Telangana Rising ‘ is creating wonders, he said the government was working with the aim of making Telangana a role model for the entire country.

Revanth Reddy compared the annual budget 2025-2026, presented by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, with ‘Ugadi Pachadi’. He said that the state government is working with the goal of increasing revenues and distributing them among the poor. He said the budget has given top priority to agriculture, education, health, and infrastructure.

The Chief Minister also observed that better law and order is a must to attract investments to the state. He reiterated the resolve to undertake the Musi River rejuvenation project.

In an apparent reference to the opposition’s criticism of the Musi River project, he remarked that when development happens, there will be some obstacles. No policy will have 100 percent support, he said.

Extending heartfelt wishes to Telangana people on the occasion of ‘Vishwavasu Nama’ Ugadi, Revanth Reddy wished that the state witnesses growth in both welfare and development and also people get abundant employment opportunities.

He said the state government was launching a scheme to provide fine-quality rice to the poor. He recalled that it was the Congress government that enacted the Food Security Act to alleviate hunger among the poor in the country.

He pointed out that Telangana ranks number one in paddy production in the country. Last year, the state produced 1.56 lakh tonne paddy, he said, adding that even the undivided Andhra Pradesh had not seen this level of production.

The government is also paying bonus to farmers cultivating fine-quality paddy. He said 60-65 per cent farmers in the state were growing fine quality rice.

Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka, state ministers and senior officials attended the programme.

–IANS

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