Lokesh outlines State’s strategy to become leading destination

Andhra Pradesh is working to transform itself into a developed State and contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat, says HRD Minister Nara Lokesh.

Speaking at the Pan-IIT Summit 2026 here on Saturday, Mr. Lokesh said the State government’s strategy was centred on “speed, service and stability,” with a focus on converting investment commitments into projects, jobs and long-term economic growth.

He said the government was targeting leadership across key sectors and relying on a combination of experienced leadership and a younger political team. “Nearly half of the MLAs and 17 of the 25 Ministers are first-time legislators and Ministers respectively,” he said.

On governance, Mr. Lokesh said policies should withstand legal scrutiny and political transitions. He said the government was using Artificial Intelligence to analyse previous recruitment orders and court cases while framing new policies. He cited the recruitment of nearly 16,000 teachers as an example of using technology to identify weaknesses in earlier processes and reduce the risk of legal challenges.

The Minister said the State was moving beyond signing MoUs to ensuring their implementation. He cited the proposed Indian School of Agriculture at Madanapalle, which was intended to support an integrated horticulture ecosystem covering research, mechanisation, processing and market access. “The government estimates the ecosystem can attract investments of nearly ₹1 lakh crore,” he said.

Mr. Lokesh also referred to the proposed 17-million-tonne ArcelorMittal greenfield steel project, saying that it progressed from initial discussions with Aditya Mittal to foundation-laying in about 17 months, including environmental clearances.

He said the Google data-centre investment had strengthened Visakhapatnam’s position on the global technology map and credited coordination between the State and Union governments for resolving regulatory and taxation issues.

Growth clusters

He said Andhra Pradesh was also supporting emerging sectors such as space, drones and quantum technology. The government had allotted 300 acres to space startup Skyroot, while waterfront access had been provided to maritime-drone company Sagar Defence.

The State was developing 23 sectoral growth clusters covering areas including horticulture, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, renewable energy, solar manufacturing, semiconductors, quantum technology, space and defence, he said, adding that Andhra Pradesh added about 4.8 GW of renewable-energy capacity in a year and aimed to move from third position to first.

He stressed the need for both vertical integration of industrial supply chains and horizontal integration linking industry with education, skills, research and testing, and urged the Pan-IIT community to help connect Andhra Pradesh with industry experts and alumni to strengthen the State’s cluster strategy. He also called for collaboration on what he termed “Visible Governance, Invisible Government” by institutionalising faster government processes.

On Amaravati, Mr. Lokesh said the government was developing the capital as a major urban, education and research hub. He also announced plans for a 5,000-acre greenfield airport in Amaravati.