VIJAYAWADA: On the fifth day of his visit to Australia on Thursday, Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh secured significant commitments across multiple sectors critical to the development of Andhra Pradesh. The day was marked by high-level meetings with academic leaders at the University of Melbourne and the University of Tasmania (UTAS), a crucial interaction with Victoria’s Minister for Tourism and Sports, Steve Dimopoulos, and a strategic discussion with health insurance giant Bupa.
In a significant move to bolster the State’s IT and health-tech ecosystem, Lokesh met with Bijal Sejpal, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Bupa Asia Pacific, along with Dinesh Kanteti (Head of Enterprise Intelligence). Highlighting the rapid emergence of Visakhapatnam as a major hub for IT and Data Centres, the Minister extended an invitation to Bupa, a global health insurance and services leader headquartered in London, to establish a Global Capability Centre (GCC) in the city.
The Minister also proposed a strategic collaboration with the AP government on rural digital health services to leverage Bupa’s expertise in digital health and elderly-care homes. COO Sejpal, who noted Bupa serves 38 million customers across 190 countries, assured the Minister that the proposals from Andhra Pradesh will be positively examined by their leadership team, given the company’s strong presence in key markets like Australia, the UK, and Spain.
Lokesh’s visit to the University of Melbourne resulted in a major push for sustainable skill-development programmes. Engaging with Vice-Chancellor Prof. Emma Johnston and other senior leadership, the Minister invited the No.1-ranked Australian university to partner with the Government of AP in AI, Cyber Security, and IoT.
The discussions focused on collaboration in Quantum Technology Research and joint research initiatives in Renewable Energy, Agriculture, and Healthcare. Minister Lokesh specifically encouraged collaboration with Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University in AP for research on crop productivity, water management, and sustainable agriculture, as well as cooperation in Digital Health solutions, Tele-medicine, Smart City planning, and waste management.
The Minister also met with a delegation from the University of Tasmania (UTAS). He requested UTAS support in Curriculum Development for Pharmacy and Paramedical courses in Andhra Pradesh. Furthermore, he proposed joint research on rural healthcare and drinking-water challenges in AP’s tribal regions.
Lokesh’s meeting with Victoria’s Minister for Environment, Tourism and Sports, Steve Dimopoulos, laid the groundwork for enhanced collaboration in tourism and sports. Citing Victoria’s success in heritage and environmental tourism, Lokesh sought support for heritage tourism branding in AP, similar to Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Road, and proposed collaboration on eco-certification and marketing.
In a move to address climate challenges, the Minister requested joint R&D initiatives on coastal resilience using climate technologies, referencing Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay project, a critical step for AP’s 1,053-km long coastline. The meeting also included proposals for sports development, specifically joint training camps and friendly matches in cricket and hockey, and student-exchange programmes..
