VIJAYAWADA: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has agreed in principle to set up BHEL centre of excellence in Visakhapatnam.
On the final and third day of his visit to Delhi on Friday, Industries and Commerce Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy called on BHEL chairman and managing director Nalin Singhal.
While giving an assurance for setting up the centre of excellence, Singhal told the minister to assign a team with a nodal officer to take forward the project.
He also responded positively to the proposals made by the minister and assured to extend support to the Industrial Training Institutes. He also expressed interest in the idea of launching a joint certificate programme along with the State government for those completing school education. The minister also urged the BHEL CMD to set up solar plants in all the 13 districts.
Later, Goutham Reddy met Niti Aayog CEO Amitab Kant and sought cooperation in the upcoming 30 skill development colleges in the State. The minister said the main sources for revenue in the State are agriculture and industries and sought cooperation of Niti Aayog in those sectors, to which Amitab Kant responded positively and expressed his willingness to organise a Digital Conclave in Visakhapatnam at any time from October.
Hailing the reforms introduced by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in administration, the Niti Aayog CEO complimented the State government for extending support to the MSME sector in the time of COVID crisis. He also enquired about the new industrial policy rolled out by the State government recently.
Congratulating AP for standing top in Ease of Doing Business ranking, he said that the Centre would support the State government in all possible ways.
The minister also met DRDO Chairman Gundra Satish Reddy and officials of Navy and Air Force and said the Andhra Pradesh government has laid special focus on the defence sector in its new industrial policy and sought DRDO cooperation. The minister appealed to Navy Chief Admiral Karambhir Singh to set up a sonic system in Donakonda and a Naval base at Ramayapatnam port. Later, the minister met Air Force Chief Air chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and sought cooperation for development of defence systems in the State.