VIJAYAWADA: Reinforcing the growing economic partnership between Andhra Pradesh and the Russian Federation, HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh successfully concluded a visit to Russia involving a series of high-level engagements during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026.
The visit builds upon the strong foundation established by RUSAL’s investments in an alumina smelter in Andhra Pradesh. During discussions with senior leadership of RUSAL at SPIEF, both sides reviewed progress on the company’s ongoing investments and explored opportunities to expand into a fully integrated aluminium value chain in the state.
Discussions covered downstream aluminium manufacturing, automotive and aerospace alloys, aluminium foil production and the long-term potential for an integrated aluminium complex encompassing alumina refining, aluminium production and value-added manufacturing. Commenting on his visit to Russia, Nara Lokesh said: “Russia and India share a longstanding and trusted partnership. Our engagements during SPIEF 2026 have opened new avenues for collaboration in industry, technology, smart cities, mobility, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
Andhra Pradesh is committed to building enduring partnerships with Russian businesses and institutions. Together, we can create mutually beneficial opportunities that drive innovation, investment, jobs and sustainable economic growth for both our regions.”
Lokesh visited various industries, conferences and institutions and held discussions with Russian companies and government officials during his visit to Russia.
The visit also included engagements with major Russian companies and institutions across sectors including energy, logistics, transportation, rail manufacturing, critical minerals, semiconductors and digital infrastructure. At SPIEF, Minister Lokesh highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s vision of becoming a globally competitive manufacturing and technology hub.
Speaking on the sidelines of the forum, Lokesh stated that the shifting centre of global economic growth toward emerging economies presents unprecedented opportunities for regions that combine infrastructure, talent and policy stability.
The discussions at SPIEF also reflected the growing importance of technology, logistics, artificial intelligence and skilled workforce development in shaping the next phase of economic growth. A major focus of the visit was urban innovation and intelligent mobility.
Minister Lokesh held detailed discussions with the Government of Moscow and Transport Minister and Vice Mayor Maksim Liksutov on advanced traffic management systems, AI-powered transit monitoring, integrated command-and-control centres and digital mobility solutions. Andhra Pradesh and Moscow agreed to explore technical cooperation aimed at improving urban mobility, reducing congestion and enhancing road safety through data-driven governance.
Technology cooperation emerged as another key pillar of engagement.
Meetings with senior leadership of Sberbank, including discussions at School 21 and SberCity, focused on artificial intelligence, digital transformation, future skills and innovation ecosystems.
The AP delegation also engaged with the Government of St. Petersburg on opportunities to collaborate under safe and smart city initiatives.
HRD Minister Nara Lokesh held discussions with senior leaders of the Republic of Tatarstan, including Minister of Industry and Trade Oleg Korobchenko and Deputy Prime Minister Roman Shay khutdinov.
AP’S VISION AS GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY HUB IN SPOTLIGHT
At SPIEF held in Russia, IT Minister Nara Lokesh has highlighted AP’s vision of becoming globally competetive manufacturing and technology hub. Speaking on the sidelines of the forum, Lokesh stated that the shifting centre of global economic growth toward emerging economies presents unprecedented opportunities for regions that comibine infrastructure talent and policy stability. The discussions reflected the growing importance of technology, logistics, artificial intelligence and skilled workforce development in shaping the next phase of economic growth
