The Delhi government has drawn up a draft Information Technology Policy for 2026-2031 that aims to bring more than 200 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) to the capital, set up at least two dedicated innovation and technology districts, and train between five and six lakh young people in digital skills by 2031. The draft, prepared by the government’s IT Department, also sets a goal of putting every notified government service online.
Tech districts and a faster route to approvals
The proposed Innovation and Technology Districts are meant to work as hubs with office space, laboratories, co-working areas and supporting infrastructure for startups and technology companies. South Delhi, Dwarka and East Delhi are named as priority areas. The draft calls for at least two such districts to be notified, with one of them up and running within the five-year policy period.
To win investment, the government plans a single-window clearance system with a 30-day target for standard approvals. A GCC Facilitation Cell would act as the one contact point for companies that want to set up operations in the city.
What companies would get
The draft lists a set of financial sweeteners for eligible IT and IT-enabled services firms and GCCs:
- A 10% rebate on electricity tariffs.
- Reimbursement of internet costs of up to ₹5 lakh a year for three years.
- For GCCs that create more than 500 jobs, an employment incentive of ₹25,000 per employee a year for three years.
- A diversity incentive of ₹5,000 a month for five years for each eligible woman, Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe employee, or employee with a disability.
- Help with training costs, AI computing credits and cybersecurity certifications.
The skills push covers artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity and data analytics. The government also wants women to make up 40% of the city’s technology workforce by the end of the policy period. Four funds are proposed: ₹5 crore a year each for GCC facilitation, emerging technology and skills development, and ₹10 crore a year for GovTech innovation, all subject to budget allocation and the Finance Department’s approval.
A digital overhaul for government services
On the governance side, the draft aims to bring all notified services onto a unified portal called myDelhi and to move every department to e-office and digital file systems. It proposes a Delhi State Data Centre by 2027 and a round-the-clock cybersecurity monitoring centre, and suggests using AI and predictive analytics for traffic management, pollution monitoring, public health forecasting and fraud detection.
Why it matters and what comes next
Delhi has been without a running IT policy since 2003-04, officials said in January, when work on the new framework began. At the time they noted that states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Gujarat already had detailed policies, which Delhi was studying. The new draft is meant to position the capital as a major destination for IT investment, startups and emerging technology businesses, while also strengthening its cybersecurity.
Officials had said the draft would be placed for public consultation once finalised. Once notified in the gazette, the policy will run for five years or until a successor is notified, with a mid-term review planned for 2028.
