Puch AI under scrutiny: UP's ₹25,000 crore plan and Andhra's pending pilot

• Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath clarified the ₹25,000 crore AI partnership with Puch AI is a non-binding MoU, not a final investment.
• The proposal will undergo due diligence and can be terminated if Puch AI fails to meet criteria, following scrutiny over the deal's scale and the startup's credentials.
• Puch AI's earlier MoU with Andhra Pradesh for municipal AI solutions has not progressed materially, with the state awaiting a working pilot.
• The ₹25,000 crore investment is unusually large for a state-led tech initiative, outlining AI parks, data centers, an AI university, and an AI city.
• Founded in mid-2025, Bengaluru-based Puch AI operates via WhatsApp, supports 22 Indian languages, and claims nearly one million users, but lacks disclosed institutional funding or experience in large-scale projects.