VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to develop Andhra Pradesh as an Integrated Strategic Material Hub.
At a review meeting on the Mines Department held at the Secretariat on Tuesday, he discussed the proposed Andhra Pradesh Titanium and Strategic Materials Mission (AP-TSMM) with officials. The discussions focused on attracting investments, developing value chains and creating employment opportunities.
The Chief Minister said the proposed mission would help bring large-scale investments into the State and create thousands of jobs, thereby giving a major boost to industrial growth. “A target of Rs 50,000 crore investments and creation of 40,000 jobs over the next decade through the mission should be set,” he said.
Naidu also said the officials should study the policies adopted by the Centre and other States regarding rare minerals and explore strategies to increase value addition.
The officials informed him that beach sand minerals found along the State’s coastline are among the most valuable in the country. The minerals include ilmenite, rutile, zircon, monazite, garnet and sillimanite. These minerals are used in several critical industries, including paints, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, defence, surgical equipment, ceramics, electronics, nuclear fuel and reactor components. The officials proposed the establishment of three major mineral processing parks in the State.
The proposals include a Titanium Park in Srikakulam with a production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per year, a Rare Earth Corridor in Anakapalli with a capacity of 25,000 tonnes and an Integrated Titanium and Rare Earth Corridor in Machilipatnam.
The meeting was attended by Mines and Geology Minister Kollu Ravindra, Mines and Geology and Excise Department Principal Secretary Mukesh Kumar Meena, APMDC MD Praveen Kumar and others.