VIJAYAWADA: The State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) meeting, chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Secretariat on Wednesday, approved a foreign investment of Rs 87,520 crore by Raiden Infotech India Limited, a subsidiary of Google, to establish India’s largest data center in Visakhapatnam. The facility will be developed across three campuses located at Tarluvada, Adavivaram and Rambilli in Visakhapatnam district.
The 11th SIPB meeting approved investments to the tune of Rs 1,14,824 crore, which are expected to create potential employment for 67,218 people. So far, 11 SIPB meetings have cleared investments totalling Rs 7.07 lakh crore with a potential to generate 6.2 lakh jobs.
The Chief Minister and other ministers congratulated IT Minister Nara Lokesh for his efforts in bringing the data center project to Visakhapatnam. Naidu noted that the project will lay the foundation for a strong technology ecosystem, and accelerate technological development in the region.
He emphasised the need to establish a special economic corridor to drive industrial growth in Rayalaseema.
He announced that Visakhapatnam Economic Region will include combined Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts, Amaravati Economic Region will cover combined West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam, and a third economic region will span Nellore and Rayalaseema districts.
Aerospace, electronics, drone manufacturing hubs, and automobile corridors are already under development in Rayalaseema. Amaravati will be developed into a Quantum Valley, and serve as a hub for knowledge economy, he said.
Lokesh said the data center will position Visakhapatnam as a ‘Data Valley’, and aims to create job opportunities for 5 lakh youths. Naidu said small townships should be developed to provide housing and infrastructure for IT employees, besides creating work-from-home opportunities for another 5 lakh people.
He directed officials to prepare a comprehensive master plan to enhance infrastructure in line with rapid industrial growth, including better connectivity to industrial zones. He also instructed the industries department to fast-track work on the Jindal Steel Plant and ensure its completion by 2028.
Ministers K Atchannaidu, P Narayana, TG Bharat, K Durgesh, BC Janardhan Reddy, V Subhash, Anagani Satya Prasad, Chief Secretary K Vijayanand, and senior officials from various departments attended the meeting.
