VIJAYAWADA: Industries Minister Mekapati Gautam Reddy on Monday revealed that discussions were held with technology giant Apple Inc to explore if the latter could set up a manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh. Speaking at a press conference, he said the state government has positioned Kopparthi in Kadapa district as a possible investment destination for Apple.
"We have positioned Kopparthi.. if they want to invest in AP... they said they will come back later," he said in reply to a query. Explaining that Apple has six manufacturing units in China, with the smallest employing one lakh workforce and the largest six lakh, Mekapati said they were looking at that kind of a quantum beside land. These companies also look at women's empowerment and look to locate their units at places where women's rights are respected. AP in that respect stands a good chance, he added.
Mekapati dwelt at length on the ease of doing business rankings released the other day and in which the state topped the list. He was critical of the TDP for seeking to claim credit for the same. Asserting that effective implementation of economic reforms by the YSRC government has helped Andhra top the list, he pointed out that the approach was different this time as the survey received feedback on the implementation of reforms from the end-user's perspective (industrialist's).
Recalling that the EoDB survey took place from April 2019 to March 2020, he sought to know which party was in power in the state during that period. He credited Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the officials of the industries department for the State's remarkable showing.
"Industrialists are welcoming the steps being taken up by the YSRC government.. whereas during the TDP regime, of the MoUs signed for Rs 32 lakh crore investments, not even Rs 50,000 crore could be realised," he said. The minister added that the Jagan government was handholding industries, in particular MSMEs, hit by the Covid-19 pandemic by rescheduling loans and clearing incentives kept pending by the TDP government.
He made some comments on Kia Motors too. "No doubt it is a very good investment and I compliment the previous TDP government for getting it. But we also have to pay a penalty for getting it...by way of incentives," Goutham Reddy pointed out.
"If that was the call of the government then...that we got the company strategically...as a government I have to fulfil that obligation. For the next 20 years, I have to pay them," the Industries Minister noted.