IBM on February 22, 2026 inaugurated its AI GovTech Innovation Center in Lucknow, marking a major push to strengthen artificial intelligence-led governance in India. The Centre was inaugurated by Yogi Adityanath in the presence of Arvind Krishna, Chairman, President and CEO of IBM, Sandip Patel, Managing Director of IBM India & South Asia, and Manindra Agrawal, Director of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, along with other officials.
The Center will act as a collaborative platform to design and scale trusted AI solutions to improve productivity, transparency and public service delivery. Speaking at the event, Arvind Krishna said AI will define the next phase of government efficiency and economic competitiveness, adding that the Lucknow center combines IBM’s global AI expertise with strong local talent. IBM also signed two MoUs with the Uttar Pradesh government. One with the Department of IT & Electronics will focus on developing AI use cases and strengthening digital readiness. Another with the Directorate of School Education will introduce an AI literacy programme for students of Classes 6 to 12 and teachers.
IBM’s Lucknow campus houses a Software Lab and a Consulting FutureNow Center. The company is also working with IIT Kanpur and the Airawat Research Foundation to deploy AI solutions for air quality monitoring. In Kolkata, the launch could boost demand for AI-led governance solutions across eastern India. With West Bengal also expanding its digital infrastructure, technology firms in Kolkata see potential for similar public-private AI collaborations in the near future.