Strategic Presentation at the Indo-US Nuclear Summit: Andhra Pradesh Minister for IT, Electronics, and Education, Nara Lokesh, showcased the state’s potential at the “US Executive Nuclear Mission to India” summit held in New Delhi. Jointly organized by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), the convention focused on bilateral collaboration in civil nuclear energy. Speaking as the chief guest, Lokesh emphasized that as the global nuclear industry transitions into a new era focusing on next-generation reactor systems and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Andhra Pradesh is uniquely positioned to become a reliable global hub within the international nuclear value chain.
Clean Energy Goals and Vizag’s Digital Blueprint: Lokesh outlined the state’s ambitious ‘Integrated Clean Energy Policy,’ which aims to attract approximately ₹10 lakh crore in investments across renewable energy, green hydrogen, and power grid modernization. Highlighting the intersection of industrial growth and digital transformation, he revealed plans to develop Visakhapatnam into a massive Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data center hub with an estimated capacity of 6 Gigawatts. Recognizing that hype-scale AI-native data centers consume massive amounts of round-the-clock power, the Minister stated that secure, clean, and continuous nuclear energy is vital to sustaining these future digital infrastructure ecosystems without compromising on climate commitments.
Building a Comprehensive Manufacturing Ecosystem: Rather than viewing data centers and nuclear projects as isolated units, the Minister stressed the importance of building comprehensive manufacturing ecosystems around them. For the data centers, the state plans to localize the manufacturing of associated hardware like cooling systems, transformers, power electronics, and battery storage alongside setting up dedicated skill development institutes for energy engineers. Furthermore, Lokesh proposed that Andhra Pradesh’s vast coastline, robust port infrastructure, and industrial corridors make it an ideal destination for manufacturing critical nuclear components and establishing top-tier engineering talent, thereby cementing a long-term economic partnership between India and the United States.
