VIJAYAWADA: Capitalising on the State’s growing reputation for foreign direct investment, Andhra Pradesh HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh concluded Day 6 of his South Korean investment promotion tour on Friday.
In high-level bilateral meetings in Seoul, Lokesh secured a major Rs 1,595-crore manufacturing commitment from Shinhyup Electronics and advanced structural talks for heavy maritime infrastructure, hyper-scale AI data centers, and automated EV corridors.
Leading the State’s industrial pitch, Minister Lokesh held strategic talks with Kwon Younghoon, Global Business Director of HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering.
Highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s strategic 1,053-km coastline and deep-water ports, Lokesh formally invited the firm to establish a world-class greenfield shipbuilding and marine engineering facility.
State officials have been directed to map out suitable locations tailored to the firm’s technical requirements, and the leadership was invited to meet Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Shifting focus to high-tech infrastructure, Lokesh met with Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President Young Joe Yun. Citing the State’s robust 10 GW data-centre pipeline, Lokesh proposed that Samsung localize AI-server manufacturing and set up an advanced display fabrication plant in Andhra Pradesh.
He also invited Samsung’s elite R&D division into the Amaravati Quantum Valley to collaborate on Inia’s 133-qubit IBM Quantum System Two project, pitching a dedicated corporate city within the capital region.
The state recorded its biggest breakthrough during Lokesh’s meeting with Taehoo Kim, Chairman of Shinhyup Electronics Co., Ltd. Chairman Kim announced that Shinhyup will establish a massive manufacturing facility at Naidupeta in Tirupati district to produce Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), Copper Clad Laminates, and Electronic Manufacturing Services for the EV, automotive, and healthcare sectors. Representing a capital outlay of Rs 1,595 crore, the project is slated to generate direct employment for 2,170 personnel.
To expand the State’s home appliances footprint, Lokesh urged Cuckoo Electronics Overseas Sales Head Cho Hanchul to establish a manufacturing plant in Sri City or Tirupati to feed growing South Indian markets and export networks to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Addressing an industrial roundtable organised by the Korea Auto Industries Cooperation Agency (KAICA), Minister Lokesh detailed the expansive investment windows opened up under Andhra Pradesh’s Sustainable Electric Mobility Policy 4.0.
To incentivise EV component manufacturers, Lokesh announced that the government is building dedicated automotive components parks near the Anantapur Kia cluster and along the Sri City–Chittoor–Tirupati corridor, featuring plug-and-play manufacturing sheds and a dedicated Korea Desk.
To support these systems, Lokesh invited Motivelink CEO Kim Ki-han to expand the firm’s EV component footprint into Sri City. He also met with DeltaX Founder & CEO Stephen Kim, pushing for a localised Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) manufacturing facility to align with Andhra Pradesh’s long-term green energy goals.
Finally, Lokesh invited Invest Korea Commissioner Dr Kim Taehyung to establish a dedicated sub-national office in Amaravati or Visakhapatnam to lead a high-power corporate trade delegation to the upcoming CII Partnership Summit in November 2026.
