The Andhra Pradesh government has adopted an aggressive and investment-friendly approach to attract companies to the state. IT Minister Nara Lokesh recently revealed a strategy under which leading firms are being offered land in Visakhapatnam and other key hubs at a nominal price of 99 paise per acre to encourage them to establish operations in the state.
The move, however, has drawn criticism from the YSR Congress Party (YCP), with its leaders questioning the rationale behind allocating land to private companies at such subsidized rates.
Responding to these concerns in the Legislative Council, Lokesh defended the policy, stating that it is the government’s responsibility to build a strong IT ecosystem in Visakhapatnam. He argued that decisive steps are necessary to make the city competitive as an investment destination. Lokesh also questioned why the previous YCP government did not develop a robust IT framework in Vizag during its five-year tenure.
Highlighting recent developments, he noted that within the past 18 months, companies such as TCS, Cognizant, and Google have shown interest in expanding into Andhra Pradesh. According to him, these efforts are aimed at creating infrastructure and generating employment opportunities from the ground up.
Lokesh further cited the example of Hyderabad, recalling how Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had earlier attracted institutions like ISB, Microsoft, and Infosys by offering land incentives. He pointed out that those initiatives laid the foundation for Hyderabad’s emergence as a global capability center (GCC) hub.
The current government maintains that a similar model is being implemented in Visakhapatnam and other regions, including Amaravati, to position Andhra Pradesh as a competitive destination for IT and infrastructure investments. Supporters argue that renewed interest from major companies after a slowdown between 2019 and 2024 reflects the impact of these proactive measures.
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