Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 22 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday asserted that the state has 'made a strong claim in the field of Quantum Computing,' calling for a three-way collaboration between the state government, IBM and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to take forward the vision of Deep Tech championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the IBM AI GovTech Innovation Centre in Lucknow, the Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh's claim in Quantum Computing is rooted in history and institutional strength.

'I believe that Uttar Pradesh's claim for Quantum Computing is strong, and it is strong because IBM had contributed in getting the country's first computer installed in IIT Kanpur and today we are moving ahead in that direction. Money does not matter today. We collaborated with IIT Kanpur for MATTECH, and I believe we are also working with IIT Kanpur,' he said.

Highlighting the state's growing innovation ecosystem, Adityanath added that nearly 70 Centres of Excellence are currently operational across different sectors in Uttar Pradesh.

'Currently, almost 70 Centers of Excellence in different fields are working in Uttar Pradesh; their progress is very good, and they are doing very good work in Lucknow. In Health, SCPGI is doing very good work, IIT Kanpur is doing very good work,' he added.

The Chief Minister further said that IIT Kanpur is prepared to collaborate in establishing a facility for Quantum Computing in Noida.

'I believe that IIT Kanpur is ready to collaborate in the Noida campus to provide a building for IBM for Quantum Computing. The Uttar Pradesh government is ready to collaborate by taking the initiative in this. IBM should be ready, all three should prepare together, all three should work together for this,' he said.

'We will take forward the initiative of Quantum Computing, starting from Uttar Pradesh, and we will be able to take a new initiative in taking forward the vision of the Prime Minister for Deep Tech,' he added.

Addressing the broader impact of emerging technologies, the Chief Minister also highlighted the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence in governance and social welfare delivery.

'We have seen how AI can bring change in the life of a person sitting on the last rung... Daughters couldn't go to school because it was far away, and schools were opened in the village. Still, no one was willing to send them to school... People would open schools even if no one went there, but when data was collected and analysed through AI tools, it was found that the reason for the dropout rate was the lack of toilets for girls. The Prime Minister took this campaign forward, and we provided toilet and drinking water facilities for boys and girls in every school,' he said.

Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the IBM AI GovTech Innovation Centre in Lucknow and said that India has reached 'acclaimed heights' under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier in April last year, International Business Machines (IBM) announced its plans to establish a state-of-the-art Software Lab in Lucknow focused on advancing Generative AI and Agentic AI technologies.

The Lab will be located at Platinum Mall, Sushant Golf City, Lucknow. IBM India Software Labs, one of the largest software development centers for IBM, plays a crucial role in the development of generative AI, data & AI, automation, cybersecurity and sustainability solutions.

The Lab will focus on developing AI-powered solutions using Large Language Models (LLMs) and Small Language Models (SLMs) to address the evolving needs of businesses in India and globally. It will integrate global best practices in software engineering, design, and development to create transformative solutions. (ANI)