VIJAYAWADA: In a significant push to the State’s employment and industrial growth, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is set to set up a major IT campus in Visakhapatnam, creating 12,000 new jobs. The Rs 1,370 crore project will be developed on 21.16 acres of land allotted to TCS on a 99-year lease at a nominal rate of 99 paise, marking a landmark achievement under the State government’s proactive industrial drive.
The initiative is a key step in Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s mission to create 20 lakh jobs over five years, with IT and Industries Minister Nara Lokesh playing a crucial role. Lokesh personally appealed to Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran during a visit to Mumbai in October 2024, leading to sustained discussions that secured TCS’s commitment to the State.
“This will change the industrial narrative of Andhra Pradesh,” a senior Industries Department official noted, adding that the move reinforces investor confidence and showcases the State’s seriousness in promoting tech-led development.
State President of the Andhra Pradesh Nirudyoga JAC, Samayam Hemantha Kumar, hailed the announcement, calling it a ‘dream come true’ for job-seeking youth. “We thank CM Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Lokesh for bringing opportunities back to our State,” he said.
The land allotment mirrors a successful model previously adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat, where Tata Motors was granted land at 99 paise in Sanand. Officials say such competitive incentives are key to attracting large-scale investments.
Over the past 10 months, Andhra Pradesh has received investment proposals worth over Rs 8 lakh crore, with the potential to create more than 5 lakh jobs. Several tech giants that had backed out under the previous regime have now resumed discussions, reflecting renewed investor trust.
Minister Lokesh’s global outreach—including roadshows in the US tech corridor and the launch of progressive policies—has positioned Andhra Pradesh as a rising force in IT and electronics. The State has already announced forward-looking policies in semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, data centres, and global capability centres, all offering industry-leading incentives.