UP signs waste-to-energy, AI data centre and defence manufacturing MoUs at Davos

Uttar Pradesh opened its World Economic Forum 2026 engagements with a clutch of high-value investment commitments, signing agreements spanning clean energy, artificial intelligence and defence manufacturing as the state sharpened its pitch to global investors.

The state delegation, led by finance and parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, held a series of meetings in Davos under the coordination of Invest UP, the government’s investment promotion agency. The focus, officials said, was on securing partnerships that align with Uttar Pradesh’s long-term priorities of sustainability, technology-led growth and advanced manufacturing.

The biggest announcement came in the clean energy space, with the state government signing an ₹8,000 crore memorandum of understanding with SAEL Industries Ltd to set up 500 MW of agriculture waste-to-energy capacity across Uttar Pradesh.


Under the agreement, SAEL will establish around 20 biomass-based power plants, each with a capacity of 25 MW, largely concentrated in 16 identified paddy-growing districts. The plants will use crop residue such as paddy straw to generate electricity, combining renewable power generation with a solution to stubble waste management.

In a parallel push to strengthen digital infrastructure, Uttar Pradesh also signed an MoU worth ₹1,600 crore with Sify Technologies, a NASDAQ-listed global digital services firm. Sify has proposed setting up an AI-ready data centre in Noida that will run on renewable energy and use advanced air-cooling systems to significantly cut water consumption. The proposal includes the development of an “AI City” around the facility, with the company exploring a five-acre land parcel for the project.

According to discussions held in Davos, Sify is also looking at potential collaborations with global technology players such as Google and Meta, along with the integration of Starlink connectivity. Beyond infrastructure, the company outlined plans to deploy AI-driven solutions across sectors including agri-tech, healthcare, education, women’s health and law and order, in line with the state’s technology-led development agenda.

Defence manufacturing formed the third pillar of the state’s Davos outcomes. The Uttar Pradesh government signed an MoU with Yeoman involving an investment of ₹150 crore for weapons system integration and manufacturing.

The partnership is expected to aid indigenous defence capability development, enable technology transfer and create skilled employment, adding momentum to the state’s growing defence and aerospace manufacturing ecosystem.