VIJAYAWADA: Emphasising that sustained governance is vital for long-term development, eduaction minister N. Lokesh said the “policy instability” between 2019 and 2024 had forced several companies to migrate to neighbouring states.
This, he said, had happened after power purchase agreements were scrapped.
Delivering the keynote address at a public policy festival organised by the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Pune, Lokesh said continuity in governance enabled long-term projects to mature and deliver results as also jobs. He recalled that during Chandrababu Naidu’s consecutive terms in the late 1990s, initiatives such as Hitec City attracted global firms and created employment for lakhs of youth.
Andhra Pradesh, he said, is now ushering in a technology-driven governance model. Through the Mana Mitra WhatsApp governance platform, over 1,000 services from 36 departments are being delivered. The state is also deploying generative AI to improve citizen services. A pilot AI-based skill census in Mangalagiri, which assesses skill levels through conversational AI, will be completed soon.
One of the most ambitious reforms, Lokesh said, is digitising land records using blockchain technology. This will enable traceability and allow land title transfers within 24 hours. “Land records are India’s biggest challenge, and Andhra Pradesh is determined to solve it,” he said.
Explaining why global majors such as Google, ArcelorMittal, Tata Consultancy Services and Cognizant are lining up to invest in AP, Lokesh cited three reasons: proven leadership, speed of doing business, and the “double-engine” Naidu-Modi government. ArcelorMittal’s proposed steel plant, finalised without even an MoU, will see construction begin in February after issues were resolved within 24 hours.
The minister highlighted AP’s Lift Policy, under which land is offered at highly concessional rates to job-creating industries, especially in IT, while heavy industries are allotted land at market prices. Speed of approvals, inspired by discussions with Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran, has now become official policy, with single-portal clearances monitored personally by ministers.
Calling Quantum Valley in Amaravati the CM’s dream project, Lokesh said AP is building a national-scale quantum ecosystem by bringing together IBM, Larsen & Toubro, IIT Madras and TCS. The initiative will link 22 sectors, from space and electronics to medical devices, supported by curriculum reforms and workforce certification.
“With renewable energy, water from the Polavaram canal, and cost-effective infrastructure for data centres in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh is positioning itself as a preferred destination for long-term investments. Political will and policy stability attract FDI. When states grow, the nation gains,” Lokesh added.
