From Our Correspondent
Davos: Education, IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh on Tuesday outlined Andhra Pradesh’s aggressive green energy and digital infrastructure roadmap at the World Economic Forum, stating that the state is targeting ₹10 lakh crore in green energy investments by 2029.
Participating in a CII roundtable on “Sustainability at Scale: Pathways for Global Transformation”, Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh has already attracted ₹5.22 lakh crore in clean energy investments, which are expected to generate over 2.7 lakh jobs in renewable energy and allied sectors. He said sustainability has moved from intent to execution, with Andhra Pradesh focusing on outcomes, policy stability and scale.
Lokesh highlighted the state’s integrated clean energy policy, covering solar, wind, storage, green hydrogen and green ammonia, along with manufacturing, skills and supply chains. He noted that five of India’s top 10 solar equipment manufacturers are based in Andhra Pradesh and pointed to a landmark green ammonia export agreement from the state to Germany as a major step towards India becoming an energy exporter.
On the sidelines of WEF, Lokesh held a series of high-level meetings with global investors. In discussions with Brookfield Asset Management President Connor Teskey, he sought faster execution of clean energy-powered data centre projects in Visakhapatnam. Brookfield reiterated its $12 billion investment commitment to Andhra Pradesh.
Lokesh also met Iron Mountain President and CEO William L. Meaney, inviting the company to set up a regional technology operations hub in Visakhapatnam, and held talks with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) Executive MD Hashiyama Shigeto on Japanese investments in maritime infrastructure, industrial townships and clean energy.
In separate meetings, Lokesh engaged with Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar on setting up a centralised skilling campus in Visakhapatnam, and with JSW Group MD Parth Jindal on expediting the Kadapa steel plant and exploring investments in batteries, EVs and paints manufacturing in Andhra Pradesh.
Officials said Lokesh’s Davos engagements underscored Andhra Pradesh’s push to position itself as a global destination for green energy, data centres, advanced manufacturing and skills-driven growth.