VIJAYAWADA: The regional conference of the 31st CII Partnership Summit, held at SRM University in Amaravati on Friday, witnessed the exchange of as many as 60 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) involving investments worth Rs 42,947.74 crore, with the potential to generate 56,653 jobs across AP.
The conference focused on the capital region districts of NTR, Krishna, Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla, Prakasam and Markapuram. Of the total agreements, 41 MoUs involving investments of Rs 27,044.74 crore and promising 36,904 jobs relate to projects in these districts. The remaining 19 agreements cover projects in nine other districts, extending from Srikakulam to Tirupati.
The special chief secretary for Youth Services SS Rawat urged the investors to explore the emerging opportunities in the Amaravati region. He said the nine-district region contributed around 35 percent to the State’s gross domestic product and that development plans had been drawn up for 2030, 2035 and 2047, focusing on sustainable and inclusive growth.
Rawat said work was under way on 46 projects in the region, while 480 acres had been allotted to 26 MSMEs. The Machilipatnam port would strengthen connectivity, while a BPCL refinery was proposed in Prakasam district and a Bharat Dynamics Limited unit was planned at Donepudi.
MA&UD Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar said Amaravati was poised to emerge as a major economic growth centre, supported by integrated infrastructure, high-speed rail connectivity and plans to improve investment opportunities and living standards.
Industries Secretary Yuvraj said port infrastructure, shipbuilding clusters and food processing clusters were among the sectors expected to drive industrial growth. The government was focusing on Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Tirupati as key economic development regions.
CII AP president Narendra Kumar Sharanam, ITC Agri Business chief executive Rahul Gauraha and PI Data Centers CEO Kalyan Muppaneni highlighted the State’s natural resources, industrial capabilities, infrastructure and policy vision as key advantages for attracting investments.
Gauraha said ITC was committed to strengthening its partnership with Andhra Pradesh through technology-driven agricultural advisory services, market access for farmers and farmer-producer organisations. The initiatives also aimed to improve employment, skill development and sustainable livelihoods.