Housing board’s IT City project offers seven plots by auction

Lucknow: A recent report by Nasscom and Deloitte placed Lucknow among cities that will lead and benefit from the "next wave of tech hubs". In Feb 2025, Sify Technologies opened its AI Edge data centre here and in Dec 2005, the company announced plans to develop a large hyperscale AI campus in its vicinity. Then, in Apr 2025, IBM announced to set up a software lab here. In the same year, Genpact, Deloitte and InMobi too built their footprint in the city. "This wave is powered by a strong political will and a robust plan to turn this into reality," said Balkar Singh, commissioner, UP Avas Vikas Parishad (UPAVP). Last week, UPAVP rolled out an exercise to develop a 258-acre integrated IT-city in Vrindavan Yojana's sector 15. This is in addition to Lucknow Development Authority's IT City project coming up near New Jail Road. Singh said: "Seven plots are available for auction and at least a dozen companies have already made queries in this regard. Bidding is due to take place soon and we hope to add some more players in Lucknow.""There is a lot of concrete buzz around ‘Lucknow as an IT City in making', but when we look at IT parks or cities in other places, one is bound to observe that they are located on outskirts, which acts as a dampener for workers. Our project is coming up in the heart of the city and that is its biggest advantage." There area is functional, there are schools, residential apartments and big hospitals in the vicinity. All these factors make it advantageous to the investor IT companies," he said.The board is also developing a hotel, sports facilities, green spaces and an International Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICEC) in around the proposed IT city. He said: "Usually, rates for such plots fall in commercial category which is higher than residential, but we have kept them at par with residential rates, making them affordable. Then, plots above 15 acres are being offered at 10% lower cost. Also, payment options have been eased. Developers will be allowed to take possession after paying just 25% of the bid amount, compared with 50% previously."