Andhra IT Minister Nara Lokesh drives strategic partnerships on Australia tour

Lokesh says that more than Rs 10-lakh crore in investments have been attracted in just 16 months, crediting the State’s 'speed-of-doing-business' approach.

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh IT, and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh advanced a multi-pronged agenda of academic, industrial, and skills partnerships during his second day in Australia on Monday, engaging with top universities, public training institutions, and industry leaders to fast-track Andhra Pradesh’s growth as India’s next innovation and investment hub. Lokesh is on a seven day tour to Australia on 'Special Visitors Programme'.

At the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Lokesh met with senior executives and researchers, exploring joint degree programs, student exchanges, and skills development initiatives particularly in the fields of STEM, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Renewable Energy.

He called for collaborative research between Andhra Pradesh universities and UNSW to tackle challenges in sustainable agriculture and water management and sought UNSW’s support to establish innovation hubs in AP.

He also advocated for partnerships in public health, telemedicine, smart cities, and effective, data-driven public policy and governance.

UNSW leaders highlighted the institution’s global stature placed among the world’s top 50 universities and its track record in pioneering solar-powered vehicles, quantum computing, and medical breakthroughs.

UNSW expressed readiness to partner further with Andhra Pradesh in joint research, technology transfer, and student engagement, having already established links with leading Indian institutions and tech hubs.

During a high-level meeting with leading Australian business executives including representatives from HSBC, Amazon, Cisco, EY, GrainCorp, HCL, KPMG, Mastercard, and key universities Minister Lokesh outlined Andhra Pradesh’s robust, investor-friendly environment under Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

He shared that more than ₹10 lakh crore in investments have been attracted in just 16 months, crediting the State’s “speed-of-doing-business” approach.

Highlighting Visakhapatnam’s rapid emergence as a data and industrial hub, Minister Lokesh invited business leaders to the CII Partnership Summit 2025 in Visakhapatnam this November, emphasizing AP’s world-class infrastructure, 1,051 km of coastline, and welcoming policies for new investments.

“Once you sign an MoU with Andhra Pradesh, it’s no longer just your project it’s ours as well. We provide hand-holding and expedited approvals at every stage,” Lokesh assured.

Citing landmark projects like the Google Data Centre (India’s largest FDI in the sector) and the ArcelorMittal steel plant, both completed at record speed, Lokesh stressed that Andhra Pradesh is committed to transparent, accountable, and accelerated growth.

He noted that proactive project management down to daily WhatsApp updates involving ministers ensures seamless execution for investors.

Minister Lokesh visited the TAFE NSW Ultimo Campus, Australia’s largest public vocational training institution, and held talks with Australia’s Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles.

The discussion focused on accelerating collaboration between AP and TAFE NSW on curricula design, teacher training, student exchange, and credit transfer programs.

Addressing the CII Partnership Summit Roadshow in Sydney, Minister Lokesh underlined why Andhra Pradesh is the preferred destination for global investors highlighting the state’s experienced, visionary leadership, business-friendly reforms, young talent, and strong execution track record.

He referenced Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s historic role in developing Hyderabad and stressed AP’s ambition to become a $2.4 trillion economy, with Visakhapatnam as a trillion-dollar economic corridor.