From Our Correspondent
Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday declared the Visakhapatnam CII Partnership Summit a “super hit”, announcing that the two-day event drew 4,975 industrialists, including 640 international delegates, and resulted in ₹13.25 lakh crore investments through 613 MoUs—promising 16.31 lakh jobs.
He said the state has attracted over ₹20 lakh crore in investments in the past 17 months, reflecting the renewed trust among global and domestic investors.
Speaking to the media on the summit’s final day, Naidu said the event was designed as a unique hybrid model, combining investment facilitation with knowledge-sharing sessions and deep discussions on global industrial trends. The summit featured 41 business sessions, 91 speakers, 16 country-level meetings, and 24 bilateral interactions attended by the Chief Minister.
Students Given a Front-Row Seat to Entrepreneurship
Highlighting the government’s focus on nurturing young talent, Naidu said 450 students were invited to participate so they could be developed into future entrepreneurs.
He said the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub is currently serving as a major platform for young innovators, and announced that MSME parks will be set up in all 175 constituencies to promote local entrepreneurship with shared infrastructure, marketing facilities and industrial support.
Sri City as a Model; Investment Confidence Restored
Citing Sri City’s success—housing 240 industrial units from 31 countries—Naidu said the goal now is to expand global participation to 50 countries.
He credited ministers and bureaucrats for attracting investments across all departments and said the government has worked consistently over 17 months to restore investor confidence, enabling Andhra Pradesh to emerge as a preferred destination due to its “speed of doing business.”
Escrow Accounts, Sovereign Guarantees to Boost Investor Security
To further strengthen investor assurance, Naidu announced that the state will offer Escrow accounts and sovereign guarantees to companies investing in Andhra Pradesh—becoming the first state in the country to do so.
Under the Super Six programme, the government initially promised jobs for 20 lakh youth, but the investment momentum now supports job creation for 24 lakh people, he said.
Naidu added that the government is committed to decentralised development, with plans to build:
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Rayalaseema into a horticulture and industrial hub
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Coastal Andhra into an aqua hub
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Visakhapatnam into an AI and data centre hub
All Projects Will Materialise Within Three Years: CM
The Chief Minister assured that all MoUs signed are “serious investments” and will be grounded within three years. A dedicated group of ministers will continuously monitor the progress of each proposal until implementation on the ground.
Naidu said Andhra Pradesh has succeeded in regaining the trust of global investors and is now well-positioned for rapid, broad-based economic growth.