Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday (December 23, 2025) outlined an ambitious, long-term technology and infrastructure roadmap for Andhra Pradesh, announcing that Visakhapatnam is fast emerging as a global hub for data centres, while Amaravati will anchor the State’s knowledge economy as India’s dedicated Quantum Valley.
Addressing students, academics and industry stakeholders during the “Quantum Talk by CM CBN” programme, Mr. Naidu said Visakhapatnam’s strong subsea cable connectivity and digital infrastructure were positioning it as a key node in the global data ecosystem. He added that Tirupati is being developed as a Space City, while regions such as Anantapur and Kadapa will evolve into major electronics and aerospace hubs, creating a distributed yet interconnected innovation network across the State.
Drawing parallels with his IT Vision launched nearly 25 years ago, the Chief Minister said bold policy decisions taken in the past had laid the foundation for the IT revolution in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh. “Just as Silicon Valley shaped the digital age, Amaravati’s Quantum Valley will anchor the knowledge economy of the future,” he said, stressing that scientific thinking and innovation are deeply rooted in India’s civilisational ethos.
Mr. Naidu highlighted India’s historical contributions to urban planning, mathematics, astronomy and education, citing Takshashila and Nalanda, and noted that India, once contributing nearly 40% of global GDP, has now risen to become the world’s fourth-largest economy. He said technology-driven growth in the services sector has had an impact greater than even the Green and Industrial Revolutions.
Referring to recent investments, he announced that Google is set to establish its largest data centre in Visakhapatnam, further strengthening the city’s global digital profile. He also pointed to the development of major industrial corridors linking Visakhapatnam–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru and Bengaluru–Hyderabad as catalysts for industrial expansion.
Quantum skilling
The Chief Minister formally launched what he described as the world’s largest quantum skilling programme, with over 50,000 registrations in just 10 days, implemented in partnership with WISER and Qubitech. Notably, women account for 51% of the participants. He announced that Andhra Pradesh aims to begin producing quantum computers within two years and revealed plans for a comprehensive Quantum and Green Hydrogen Valley with a 20-year roadmap.
Explaining the transformative potential of quantum technologies, Mr. Naidu said they would revolutionise healthcare, energy systems, agriculture, finance, materials science and weather forecasting. By integrating quantum computing with artificial intelligence, satellites and drone technologies, he said, Andhra Pradesh would emerge as a key driver of India’s future-ready, technology-led economy and a torchbearer of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The programme was attended by Prof. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Prof. Satyanarayana, Director, IIT Tirupati, Dr. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and experts from various institutions.
Published – December 24, 2025 05:05 am IST
