Andhra Pradesh IT and Education Minister Nara Lokesh declared that Visakhapatnam is beginning a new chapter in India’s digital journey. Speaking as the chief guest at the ‘Bharat AI Shakti Conclave’ organized by Google in Vizag, he outlined the state government’s vision for the city’s technological advancement. Assuring industrialists and tech leaders, Lokesh emphasized that the current administration believes in solid ‘handshakes’ rather than mere MoUs, promising to take complete responsibility and ownership of projects once an agreement is reached, perfectly aligning with their grand vision to create 20 lakh jobs in the state.
Highlighting the historic significance of the Google AI Hub, the Minister revealed that this massive $15 billion foreign direct investment will facilitate a one-gigawatt data center ecosystem and the city’s first-ever cable landing stations. He noted that while seaports previously connected the “Steel City” to the world physically, these new landing stations will now connect it digitally. This robust AI and data infrastructure project is projected to generate approximately 2 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities, serving as a powerful economic multiplier for the region.
Setting an ambitious long-term target, Lokesh shared the government’s goal to transform the Visakhapatnam economic region into a trillion-dollar economy by the year 2047. Drawing a parallel to the technological rise of Hyderabad—which was spearheaded by CM Chandrababu Naidu decades ago—he confidently asserted that the development Hyderabad achieved over 30 years will be replicated in Vizag within just a single decade. Urging investors to view Andhra Pradesh as a dynamic “startup” state, he highlighted the administration’s deep hunger, fresh perspective, and unwavering determination for rapid industrial and digital growth.
