VISAKHAPATNAM: The 30th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit 2025 began on Friday at the Andhra University Engineering College Grounds in Visakhapatnam, drawing global attention to Andhra Pradesh’s investment potential. The summit was inaugurated by Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee and several other dignitaries. Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister hosted a breakfast meeting for the Vice-President and international delegates.
The two-day summit has attracted nearly 2,500 delegates from 77 countries. Officials stated that more than 45 sessions have been lined up, focusing on trade, industrialisation, technology, sustainability, climate action, geo-economics and inclusion. Day One alone features around 25 thematic sessions, with four discussions taking place simultaneously across the venue. The State government expects major investment announcements in aviation, green energy, ports, IT, tourism and manufacturing sectors.
Delivering the inaugural address, Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan said India is progressing as a financially resilient nation, driven by consistent policy reforms and rapid infrastructure expansion. He stressed that wealth creation is crucial for poverty reduction and highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s governance model for enabling long-term growth. Referring to Chief Minister Naidu’s earlier contributions to Hyderabad’s emergence as a technology hub, the Vice-President said Andhra Pradesh continues to offer promising opportunities in food processing, blue economy, agriculture and digital services. He encouraged global industry leaders to view this as the right moment to invest in India and Andhra Pradesh.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the State aims to position itself as a preferred destination for future technologies, logistics, tourism and mineral-based industries. Announcing that Andhra Pradesh plans to introduce drone taxi services within two years, he credited the Centre’s drone innovation policies for enabling such advancements. The Chief Minister outlined vast opportunities across ports, airports, transportation networks and rare earth mineral processing. He held meetings with several global industry representatives ahead of the summit and assured full government support to investors. Naidu is also scheduled to speak at a session on ‘AI for Viksit Bharat’ and hold discussions with officials from BPCL, the Goenka Group and SBF.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, after inaugurating the Andhra Pradesh Pavilion, said Visakhapatnam is emerging as a vital gateway for global trade. He highlighted India’s expanding semiconductor ecosystem, which has attracted around USD 30 billion in investments, and reaffirmed the country’s 500 GW renewable energy ambition. Goyal noted that India’s digital public infrastructure is being globally recognised and said foreign investment continues to flow into the country despite global economic volatility. He added that free trade agreements and GST reforms are helping streamline business operations.
The event also saw participation from several leading industrialists, including Karan Adani, Yusuff Ali, Baba Kalyani, Sanjiv Bajaj, Suchitra K. Ella, Amit Kalyani and others. They discussed ongoing investments in Andhra Pradesh, skilling programmes, manufacturing expansion and emerging opportunities across ports, logistics, food processing and advanced technologies.