Overview

• Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh’s IT and HRD minister, reached New Delhi on August 17 to press Union ministries for expedited clearances on key state infrastructure and technology projects.
• His itinerary includes meetings with Nitin Gadkari, Hardeep Singh Puri, Sarbananda Sonowal, Piyush Goyal and S. Jaishankar, with an expected discussion with Ashwini Vaishnaw later in the visit.
• The engagements follow the Union Cabinet’s August 12 sanction of a semiconductor manufacturing unit for Andhra Pradesh under the India Semiconductor Mission.
• The approved facility will be developed by Advanced System in Package Technologies in partnership with South Korea’s APACT to produce 96 million semiconductor units annually for mobile phones, set-top boxes, automobiles and other electronics.
• Lokesh’s office credits prior Delhi outreach for accelerating project approvals and aims with this round of talks to translate policy clearances into on-the-ground progress.