The Uttar Pradesh government has transitioned from policy to execution by launching seven specialized Centers of Excellence (CoEs) to position the state as a premier global startup hub. These centers are strategically located in Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida), Lucknow, Kanpur, Saharanpur, and Ghaziabad, creating a distributed innovation network supported by top-tier academic institutions like IIT Kanpur, IIM Lucknow, and IIT Roorkee.  

Key Pillars of the Initiative:

• Future-Oriented Sectors: Each CoE is theme-based, focusing on high-growth industries including Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, 5G/6G Telecom, MedTech, Drone Technology, Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing), and Data Analytics.  

• Financial Backing: The government has provisioned a grant-in-aid of up to ₹10 crore per center over five years. Startups incubated here can access seed funding of up to ₹75 lakh, alongside connections to angel and venture capital networks.  

• Strategic Partnerships: * The Blockchain CoE in Noida is operated by IIM Lucknow in collaboration with Microsoft, aiming to incubate 100 startups.  

• The MedTech CoE in Lucknow, supported by STPI and SGPGI, focuses on reducing import dependence for medical devices.  

• The 5G/6G Telecom CoE in Kanpur is dedicated to next-generation communication research.  

• Goal of Sustainability: The government’s objective is for these centers to develop independent revenue streams and become financially self-reliant within five years, ensuring a permanent and sustainable ecosystem for indigenous technology development.  

By providing world-class testing labs and technical validation, these CoEs allow early-stage deep-tech startups to bypass massive capital burdens, effectively "de-risking" entrepreneurship in non-traditional tech cities and retaining skilled youth within the state.

The Uttar Pradesh government has transitioned from policy to execution by launching seven specialized Centers of Excellence (CoEs) to position the state as a premier global startup hub. These centers are strategically located in Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida), Lucknow, Kanpur, Saharanpur, and Ghaziabad, creating a distributed innovation network supported by top-tier academic institutions like IIT Kanpur, IIM Lucknow, and IIT Roorkee.  

Key Pillars of the Initiative:

• Future-Oriented Sectors: Each CoE is theme-based, focusing on high-growth industries including Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, 5G/6G Telecom, MedTech, Drone Technology, Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing), and Data Analytics.  

• Financial Backing: The government has provisioned a grant-in-aid of up to ₹10 crore per center over five years. Startups incubated here can access seed funding of up to ₹75 lakh, alongside connections to angel and venture capital networks.  

• Strategic Partnerships: * The Blockchain CoE in Noida is operated by IIM Lucknow in collaboration with Microsoft, aiming to incubate 100 startups.  

• The MedTech CoE in Lucknow, supported by STPI and SGPGI, focuses on reducing import dependence for medical devices.  

• The 5G/6G Telecom CoE in Kanpur is dedicated to next-generation communication research.  

• Goal of Sustainability: The government’s objective is for these centers to develop independent revenue streams and become financially self-reliant within five years, ensuring a permanent and sustainable ecosystem for indigenous technology development.  

By providing world-class testing labs and technical validation, these CoEs allow early-stage deep-tech startups to bypass massive capital burdens, effectively "de-risking" entrepreneurship in non-traditional tech cities and retaining skilled youth within the state.