Lucknow, June 10: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to formulate the Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy 2026, outlining an ambitious roadmap to transform the state into India’s foremost destination for entrepreneurship and innovation.
Reviewing the proposed framework of the policy, the Chief Minister emphasized that Uttar Pradesh’s large youth population, expanding industrial ecosystem, growing digital infrastructure and investor-friendly environment provide a strong foundation for innovation-led economic growth. He said the new policy should encourage young people to emerge as entrepreneurs and employment generators while strengthening the state’s position in the startup landscape.
During the meeting, officials highlighted the rapid progress of the state’s startup ecosystem. Uttar Pradesh has advanced from the ‘Aspiring Leader’ category in 2018 to the ‘Top Performer’ category in the Government of India’s Startup Ranking 2025, reflecting significant improvements in entrepreneurship promotion and ecosystem development.
Adityanath stressed the need for comprehensive support mechanisms for startups throughout their growth journey. He called for stronger provisions related to sustenance support, prototype development grants, seed funding assistance, patent facilitation and quality certification incentives to help emerging ventures scale effectively.
The proposed policy is also expected to incorporate targeted incentives for women-led enterprises, entrepreneurs from economically weaker backgrounds, persons with disabilities, transgender founders and startups operating in the Purvanchal and Bundelkhand regions to ensure inclusive growth.
Highlighting the importance of collaboration, the Chief Minister directed officials to strengthen linkages between startups, accelerators, investors, industry partners and research institutions. He said access to mentorship, capital, technology support and market opportunities would be critical for building globally competitive enterprises.
The policy will place special emphasis on emerging sectors including artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, robotics, semiconductors, aerospace, space technology and health-tech. The Chief Minister advocated dedicated incentives for deep tech ventures and a robust framework to promote research-driven innovation.
He also instructed authorities to expand the network of Centres of Excellence and align them with future technologies. Greater collaboration among universities, technical institutes, research centres and industry stakeholders was proposed to accelerate the commercialisation of innovations. The planned U-Hubs in Lucknow and Noida are expected to serve as key centres for advanced technology and deep-tech development.
To provide stronger institutional support for the ecosystem, Adityanath proposed the creation of the Uttar Pradesh Startup Mission. The body would oversee startup promotion, financial management, capacity building, performance monitoring and stakeholder coordination, ensuring a more structured and outcome-oriented approach to entrepreneurship development across the state.