Quite recently , I was invited to be a part of a powerful GCC-focused event in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh , and it completely rewired my perspective on Tier 2 cities in India.
The event brought together heavyweights from the global and Indian tech ecosystem. From @Vijay Kiran Anand, CEO of Invest UP, @Manoj Kumar Singh, Chief Secretary - Gov of UP, Alok Kumar - IDD, Gov of UP, Varun Ramanan - Microsoft India, Amit Verma - Head of nasscom (North India), @amitabh Tewari - Centre Head, Tata Consultancy Services, @Shashank Chaudhary, ACEO - Invest UP, Neha Jain, Divyanshu Kumar Shukla and many others thought-leaders from Ibm India Pvt LLimited., Deloitte, Tata Consultancy Services, and more.
And here’s the big insight:
Uttar Pradesh is quietly building the ideal recipe for global operations -
- A large, skilled workforce
- Affordable talent across tech & analytics
- Significantly lower real estate/rental cost
- Strong government incentives + policy support
- Political will to drive infrastructure and digital growth
What Bangalore was in 2005, Lucknow could be by 2027.
As someone in the market research and data intelligence space, I’m seeing a growing number of MNCs and fast-scaling startups looking to diversify beyond the saturated metros.
What Government of UP is doing under the leadership of UPCM Yogi Adityanath isn’t just smart - it’s strategic.
Establishing Lucknow as a GCC hub is no longer a dream.
It’s a plan in motion, with the right players, capital, and government intent behind it.
Kudos to Invest UP, CM Office, GoUP and the state leadership for pushing boundaries and creating a real narrative for Tier 2 expansion.
And personally, always grateful for the chance to connect with such inspiring minds, from government visionaries to corporate CXOs.
If you’re a founder or CXO rethinking your backend or analytics ops location, I’d say it’s time to visit Lucknow before your competitors do.
Happy to share notes from what I learned at the event!
GCC InvestInUP Lucknow Invest India Start in UP (Official) Vandana Sharma Mahip Singh Hasan Yaqoob Abhishek Tiwari 🇮🇳 Itu Rathore Amit Srivastava
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