From Our Correspondent
New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, IT and Electronics Nara Lokesh on Wednesday said that the state under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents a “double-engine bullet-train government” driving rapid growth and reform.
Speaking at the US–India Strategic Partnership Summit in New Delhi, where Adobe Chairman Shantanu Narayen was the moderator, Lokesh quipped, “In Andhra Pradesh, NAMO means Naidu and Modi — two visionary leaders steering the state’s transformation.”
Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh had attracted $120 billion in investments within 17 months of the new government, including Google’s $15 billion Data City in Visakhapatnam — India’s largest single FDI — and ArcelorMittal’s mega steel plant near the city, secured after just one virtual meeting.
He attributed AP’s success to three factors — speed of doing business, Naidu’s leadership record, and a double-engine bullet-train government. “We implement every reform launched by Prime Minister Modi immediately. That’s why investors see Andhra Pradesh as a benchmark for efficiency,” he said.
Lokesh, representing what he called a $180-billion economy, said the state’s goal is to build a $2.4 trillion economy by 2047. “We are witnessing history — from brain drain to brain gain — as Google, Meta, and ArcelorMittal bring transformative investments to Andhra Pradesh,” he noted.
He highlighted Naidu’s track record of building new cities, recalling how he created Cyberabad in the 1990s and is now pursuing the same vision with Amaravati, designed with Singapore architects and built through a farmer-participation land pooling model. “Thirty thousand farmers voluntarily contributed land to build Amaravati. The model now serves as a reference for new city-building in India,” Lokesh said.
Andhra Pradesh, he said, is emerging as the “California of the East,” with its long coastline, world-class infrastructure, and investor-friendly policies. The government plans to add 50,000 hotel rooms in five years to strengthen the state’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem, already bringing 8,500 rooms into operation.
Lokesh outlined the government’s focus on AI-driven development, including plans to set up an AI University on the ISB model and to integrate AI modules into university curricula. He also spoke about the Skill Census, a statewide AI-based assessment of citizens’ skills designed to match industry needs and train the workforce accordingly.
“Education and IT are the twin pillars of change,” Lokesh said. “Every leader who shaped society began with education. I took charge of both portfolios to reform learning, modernize governance, and equip our youth with future technologies.”
Concluding his address, Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh’s reforms are positioning it as India’s most forward-looking investment destination. “Right now, it’s Andhra Pradesh’s time — we are making history, and the world will see it,” he declared.