UP CM Yogi Adityanath Clarifies ₹25,000 Cr Puch AI MoU as Non-Binding, Preliminary
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UP CM Yogi Adityanath Backtracks on ₹25,000 Cr MoU with Puch AI, Cites Non-Binding Nature
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CNBC TV18•24-03-2026, 16:27
UP CM Yogi Adityanath Backtracks on ₹25,000 Cr MoU with Puch AI, Cites Non-Binding Nature
•Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath clarified that the ₹25,000 crore MoU with Puch AI is a non-binding, preliminary agreement after social media backlash.
•The initial announcement detailed plans for an AI ecosystem including AI Parks, an AI Commons platform, and a dedicated AI University, with a 40-acre site near Lucknow airport identified for India’s first AI City.
•Puch AI, a Bengaluru-based startup founded in 2025, focuses on making AI accessible to Indians via WhatsApp and voice calls, offering free services like chat assistance and fact-checking in regional languages.
•The deal drew sharp criticism from the startup community due to Puch AI's annual revenue of ₹42.9 lakh, lack of external funding, small team, and founder Siddharth Bhatia's history of publicity stunts.
•Adityanath emphasized that MoUs are preliminary steps by Invest UP to explore potential, and any further progress requires detailed evaluation, with non-compliant investors facing termination of their MoU.
