Ecosystem necessary for industries ready in Andhra Pradesh: Minister Nara Lokesh

The Minister for Information Technology (IT) and Electronics, Nara Lokesh, has said that the progressive Government under the leadership of the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, has introduced the ecosystem needed for setting up industries and also providing special incentives to provide employment to the youth on a large scale.

On the last day of his week-long visit to the United States, Lokesh had a fruitful meeting with industrialists at a star hotel in New York City and explained in detail the facilities available in Andhra Pradesh for establishing their units.

Observing that the Economic Development Board is working so actively that permissions will be issued without any delay for the industries that come with a blueprint, Lokesh told the industrialists that Andhra Pradesh has the most favorable atmosphere for setting up their units which no other State has in the country.

The State has the largest road connectivity with a wide coastal network extending to 974 km along with air connectivity, the IT Minister said.

Informing them that an international airport will come into operation at Bhogapuram in just another 18 months, Lokesh said that this will totally change the complete profile of North Andhra.

Also, four more new ports will also be available at Mulapet, Kakinada Gateway, Machilipatnam, and Ramayapatnam as the works are going on at a fast pace, he said.

For providing human resources needed for various industries, the State Government for the first time in the country has taken up a skill census to make available the necessary manpower, the IT Minister informed the industrialists.

Necessary changes are being brought in the curriculum of various universities and in different colleges to train the youth in different skills to meet the needs of the industries, Lokesh said and expressed the hope that the proposed Artificial Intelligence (AI) university that is going to the established in the capital city of Amaravathi will certainly produce AI experts with global standards. The State is marching past on a progressive path, Lokesh said, and asked the industrialists to invest in the State to become partners in the growth of Andhra Pradesh.

The senior advisor of CD&R, Tom Franco, the CEO of Rupert International, Tod Rupert, and several other top industrialists were present at the meeting.

Earlier the US-India Business Council USIBC hosted an industry roundtable with the AP Minister in Palo Alto. Minister Lokesh pitched Andhra Pradesh as a leading destination for #investment for U.S.

Companies in India, with adequate human resources, skilled talent and cosmopolitan culture. USIBC said it was thrilled to engage with the Andhra Pradesh government in advancing U.S.-India partnerships that drive innovation, traditional IT/ITES, AI, fintech, pharma, manufacturing, bio-fuels, and other critical sectors.