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Naidu and Lokesh Step Up Pitch for Andhra Pradesh as the South’s Investment Magnet

Officials cite a “Speed of Doing Business” pitch as the draw for relocations.

Overview

  • HRD Minister Nara Lokesh publicly hailed Andhra Pradesh as “the place to be,” echoing posts that cite ₹13.25 lakh crore in MoUs and commitments across AI, manufacturing, renewables and green mobility.
  • In a new interview, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said he expects about ₹40 trillion in public and private investment by 2029 and highlighted Google’s planned $15 billion AI data center in Visakhapatnam.
  • Analytical coverage describes the state’s approach as institutionalizing speed, with faster approvals, direct access to decision-makers and unusually rapid land allotments attracting companies relocating from other southern states.
  • Lower-cost industrial land in Anantapur, Nellore and Kuppam, along with proximity to Bengaluru and Chennai, is presented as a cost and logistics advantage for investors.
  • Rival states criticize the incentive race, and commentators warn that headline MoUs must convert into factories, jobs and fiscally sustainable outcomes to validate the strategy.