UP GCC Innovation Summit: 15 MoUs Signed to Boost Skills and Employment Opportunities

The Uttar Pradesh government signed 15 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with companies and talent-development partners and issued letters of comfort to five investors at the UP GCC Innovation Summit 2026 in Lucknow on Monday, according to a state government statement.

The summit aimed to position Uttar Pradesh as a major destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), which handle technology, research and business operations for global companies.

The government exchanged MoUs with 13 educational institutions, including IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, IIM Lucknow, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, Aligarh Muslim University, Shiv Nadar University, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Lucknow University, IIIT Allahabad, IIIT Lucknow, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Amity University and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University.

The partnerships are intended to strengthen collaboration between educational institutions and industry, promote research and innovation, and develop skills aligned with industry requirements.

The government issued letters of comfort to Havells India Limited, Ameriprise India LLP, MetLife Global Operations Support Center Private Limited, LG Soft India Private Limited and WSP Consultants India Private Limited. However, approval from the industrial development minister and formal issuance of the letter for WSP Consultants India were still pending, the statement said.

Agreements were also signed with companies including EY GDS, AML RightSource, Computacenter, MetLife, DSV, DAMAC, Altruist and Smartworks to establish new GCCs or expand existing operations in the state. Smartworks is setting up two dedicated campuses in Lucknow.

For workforce development, Paytm, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Barclays, IBM and Naukri entered into partnerships for training and skill-development programmes. Paytm signed two MoUs under the initiative.

The summit was organised by the IIT Kanpur Alumni Association in collaboration with Invest UP and HCL Tech. Industry representatives, policymakers, investors and technology experts discussed artificial intelligence, digital transformation, investment opportunities and innovation in global business services.

Seven thematic sessions covered GCC investment destinations, AI-driven operations, product-led innovation, startup collaboration, university partnerships and future skills.