VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to organise five regional conferences in Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Guntur, Anantapur and Tirupati as a prelude to the CII Partnership Summit-2026 and to attract large-scale investments.
Reviewing preparations for the 31st CII Partnership Summit-2026, scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam on November 12 and 13, Naidu said the Partnership Summit should not be limited to signing MoUs, but should also inspire aspiring entrepreneurs and further strengthen the Andhra Pradesh brand.
The Chief Minister directed officials to promote MSMEs through an MSME showcase at every regional conference. He also suggested introducing an innovative Shark Tank-style platform to connect start-ups with potential investors. He asked officials to link the Ratan Tata Innovation Hubs with the regional conferences.
He directed them to prepare an action plan to lay foundation stones for MSME parks in another 30 constituencies before the Partnership Summit
The regional conferences should encourage school students to develop start-up ideas, he said, adding that entrepreneurship-related subjects should be introduced from Class 7 onwards to inspire students at an early age.
The Chief Minister also suggested organising programmes on the lines of ‘Invest Kadapa’ in all districts to attract more investments.
The Chief Minister reviewed the current status of investments and directed departments to convert 80 per cent of investment proposals by the end of October and ensure grounding of 75 per cent of the converted projects. Officials informed the Chief Minister that since June 2024, MoUs have been signed for 714 projects involving investments of `22.57 lakh crore.
Of these, 473 projects worth `16.6 lakh crore have been converted, while 247 converted projects have already been grounded.
As per schedule the regional conferences will be held between October 7 and October 26. Visakhapatnam - October 7: AI, data centres, IT and fintech, semiconductors, GCCs, pharma and med-tech.
Kakinada - October 12: Maritime, shipbuilding, chemicals, green hydrogen, ammonia, aqua exports and food processing.Guntur - October 16: Governance, capital city development, urban infrastructure, Quantum Valley and emerging technologies.Anantapur - October 23: Aerospace, defence, automotive, natural farming, horticulture, food processing and renewable energy.
Tirupati - October 26: Tourism, hospitality, electronics manufacturing, semiconductors, advanced materials, automotive, space and footwear.
Domestic and international roadshows are already being conducted to attract investors, industrialists and international delegates to the CII Partnership Summit-2026.
Domestic roadshows have already been held in Chennai, Coimbatore and Bengaluru. Roadshows are scheduled in Ahmedabad on September 25, Hyderabad on September 28 and Mumbai on September 30. International roadshows have already been completed in Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan.
Roadshows will be held in Sweden from September 29 to October 1, Japan on October 13-14, and China on October 15-16.So far, 11 international ministers, 26 international speakers and representatives from 21 countries have confirmed their participation.
Ministers and representatives from countries including Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Slovak Republic, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Mauritius, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Guatemala and Mozambique are expected to participate.
The theme for this year’s summit has been finalised as ‘Trade, Technology, Trust and Thought Leadership.
A curtain-raiser event for the summit will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on October 8 in the presence of diplomats, government representatives and the media.
The CM directed officials to ensure that the proposed Convention Centre at Kapuluppada in Visakhapatnam is designed in a manner that allows it to be utilised for other requirements in the future.