VISAKHAPATNAM: The Google AI data centre in Visakhapatnam will be inaugurated on August 15, 2028, announced Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu while addressing the 31st CII Partnership Summit, which commenced in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
The summit brought together government representatives, industry leaders and international delegates to discuss investment opportunities, emerging technologies and global partnerships.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and K Ram Mohan Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan and IT Minister Nara Lokesh attended the inaugural programme.
The two-day summit is being jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India, under the theme 'Trade, Technology, Trust and Thought Leadership in a Changing Global Landscape'.
The leaders inspected artworks reflecting the State's culture, tribal paintings and stalls showcasing Tholu Bommalata, Pen Kalamkari and other traditional art forms. Officials briefed them on development in the Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and Amaravati economic regions, CRDA works and the growth of MSMEs across the State.
A digital presentation on Visakhapatnam's development was also showcased. The leaders tasted Araku coffee at the Araku stall and took a short ride in a battery-operated vehicle within the summit premises.
Highlighting Andhra Pradesh's culture and traditions, Chandrababu Naidu said the State welcomed visitors with its rich heritage, including tribal art forms such as Dhimsa. He also noted that Visakhapatnam had been declared the cleanest city in the country by the Centre.
Presenting the State's industrial and technology priorities, the Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh was focusing on rare earth magnets, steel production, solar wafers, solar energy and battery energy storage. The priority sectors included the Critical Mineral Mission, Steel Policy, Solar Mission, self-reliance in defence, space development, semiconductor manufacturing, logistics, quantum technology, green hydrogen and maritime development.
Naidu stated that the State planned to establish a quantum computer and manufacture quantum devices under the 'Made in Amaravati' tag. A Drone City was also being developed to manufacture drones for civilian and defence applications, while drones were already being used to transport medicines to remote areas. He added that investments in food processing would help position Andhra Pradesh as a global horticulture hub.
The Chief Minister added that the State was providing approvals at 12 times the usual speed to facilitate investments. Through 303 MoUs, investments worth Rs 9.89 lakh crore were expected, taking the total investment commitments secured by Andhra Pradesh, including those at the present summit, to Rs 32 lakh crore.
Addressing the summit, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal invited global investors to explore opportunities in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in manufacturing, tourism and emerging sectors.
He said Visakhapatnam was becoming a regular venue for the CII Partnership Summit and noted that the city had recovered quickly from the impact of two recent cyclones to host the international event.
Appreciating Chandrababu Naidu's focus on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and quantum computing, Goyal stated that Andhra Pradesh was moving beyond the concept of Ease of Doing Business towards Speed of Doing Business. He also referred to the escrow mechanism introduced by the State government for disbursing industrial incentives, stating that it would help build confidence among investors.
"Invest in India and Andhra Pradesh. There are opportunities in manufacturing, tourism and several other sectors," he said, quoting Sri Krishnadevaraya's words, 'Desa Bhashalandu Telugu Lessa', while inviting investors to explore the State's potential.
Several industry representatives from different sectors, including CII President-designate and Bharat Biotech Co-founder and MD Dr Suchitra K Ella, GMR Group Chairman Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, ReNew Founder, Chairman and CEO Sumanth Sinha, Kia India MD and CEO Guanggu Li, Skyroot Aerospace Co-founder and COO Naga Bharat Daka, CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee and CII President and Tata Chemicals MD and CEO R Mukundan, were present.
