Chandrababu Naidu pitches ‘Visakha Economic Region’ to NITI Aayog, aims for $120 billion economy by 2032

Chandrababu Naidu pitches ‘Visakha Economic Region’ to NITI Aayog, aims for $120 billion economy by 2032

Naidu emphasised that the plan is to transform Visakhapatnam into “another Mumbai” within the next seven years and directed officials to identify one lakh acres across the region for upcoming projects.

Raj Rayasam

Published Jun 07, 2025 | 12:08 AM

Chandrababu Naidu pitches ‘Visakha Economic Region’ to NITI Aayog, aims for $120 billion economy by 2032

The chief minister noted that the region could generate 20 to 24 lakh jobs by 2032, making it crucial to the state’s future growt

Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has proposed the creation of a ‘Visakha Economic Region’ to NITI Aayog, aiming to develop a $120 billion economy across eight coastal districts by 2032. The plan includes major infrastructure investments, job creation, and sectoral development across ports, manufacturing, IT, tourism, and clean energy. 

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has proposed the creation of a “Visakha Economic Region” as a key growth engine for the state, targeting a regional economy of $120 billion by 2032.

The proposed economic region will span eight coastal and north-coastal districts – Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR), and Parvathipuram Manyam – covering a total area of 36,000 sq km and a population of 15.5 million. The region’s current GDP stands at around $49 billion.

The proposal was made during a review meeting with NITI Aayog officials at the State Secretariat on Friday, 6 June.

The meeting was attended by State Minister Gottipati Ravikumar, NITI Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary Vijay Anand, representatives from the ISEG Foundation, and other senior officials.

Naidu emphasised that the plan is to transform Visakhapatnam into “another Mumbai” within the next seven years and directed officials to identify one lakh acres across the region for upcoming projects.

The chief minister noted that the region could generate 20 to 24 lakh jobs by 2032, making it crucial to the state’s future growth.

Strategic blueprint: Ports, jobs, infrastructure

Presenting his vision to NITI Aayog, the chief minister outlined a development model centred around six ports, seven manufacturing nodes, 17 agricultural zones, six service hubs, and 12 tourism hubs.

NITI Aayog officials in turn detailed a presentation anchored around seven growth drivers: ports, IT, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, urban development, and infrastructure. Forty-one key projects have been identified for implementation.

If executed within the proposed timeline, the Visakha Region could see construction of 7.5 lakh housing units, 10,000 hotel rooms, up to 20 innovation centres, 10 colleges, 7,000 hospital beds, development across 20,000 hectares of industrial land, 80 million sq ft of office space, and 60 million sq ft of warehousing capacity.

“We will develop beach roads from Mulapeta to Visakhapatnam and Visakhapatnam to Kakinada. These will be connected to national highways. The coast is a treasure trove – we must leverage it fully,” the chief minister said.

“Tourism is being treated as an industry, and our new policy is very investor-friendly. With future needs in mind, we will ensure continuous skill training for youth. We’re adopting ‘Work from Home’ and Knowledge Economy outsourcing models. The goal is to provide work-from-home opportunities to 20 lakh people.”

He said the government’s target should be to create 4 to 5 lakh jobs in the IT sector, with an emphasis on data centres, start-ups, and innovation hubs.

Steel, petrochemicals, and a focus on clean energy

The meeting also focused on developing Visakhapatnam as a steel hub in partnership with the country’s top three steel producers.

Other priorities discussed included petrochemicals, the gas grid, port development, the petrochemical–medical technology corridor, shipbuilding, defence, electronics, clean technology, and labour-intensive manufacturing.

The infrastructure roadmap includes four ongoing and seven proposed railway projects, to be completed by 2032, alongside nine road projects supporting manufacturing zones and ports.

The 77-km Vizag Metro, targeted for rollout between 2028 and 2030, will form a core part of urban transit development.

Highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s early leadership in power sector reforms, the chief minister recalled, “In 1998, we pioneered power sector reforms in the country. In 2014, we accorded priority to renewable energy, which now enables the lowest-cost power generation.”

The state, he said, is now pushing forward with distributed power generation models that allow individuals to produce and consume their own electricity, thereby reducing distribution losses.

“EV [Electric Vehicle] adoption will drastically reduce transportation costs. We’re focusing on solar, wind, pumped hydro, battery storage, and green hydrogen. Andhra Pradesh has abundant resources to support this vision. I seek NITI Aayog’s support to realise it,” he added.

Furthermore, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of Andhra Pradesh, NITI Aayog, and the ISEG Foundation for the State Energy Transition Roadmap, in the presence of the chief minister

Andhra and NVIDIA sign MoU to power India’s AI Future: 10,000 students to be skilled, 500 start ups to benefit

This collaboration is aimed at positioning Andhra Pradesh as a national leader in AI-driven innovation and talent development.

Andhra and NVIDIA sign MoU to power India’s AI Future: 10,000 students to be skilled, 500 start ups to benefit

Nara Lokesh with officials from NVIDIA. (X)

Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh and NVIDIA have signed an MoU to establish an AI University and strengthen the state’s AI ecosystem. The partnership includes skilling 10,000 engineering students, supporting R&D, developing infrastructure, and aiding 500 AI startups. NVIDIA will provide curriculum, training, and expertise in AI Factories. The initiative aims to position Andhra Pradesh as a national AI innovation leader.

The government of Andhra Pradesh and NVIDIA, a US technology major and AI chip maker have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly advance the establishment of a proposed Artificial Intelligence (AI) University and foster a robust AI ecosystem through skilling, research, infrastructure development, and start up acceleration.

This collaboration is aimed at positioning Andhra Pradesh as a national leader in AI-driven innovation and talent development.

As part of this partnership, the two parties will work together to skill 10,000 engineering students across Andhra Pradesh over the next two years. NVIDIA will also provide curriculum guidance and technical training resources to support AI education and capacity building in engineering colleges across the state.

In addition to workforce development, the MoU also focuses on enhancing research and development capabilities. NVIDIA will support the identification and establishment of AI research centres that will address pressing technological challenges and develop transformative solutions across sectors.

Both parties will encourage joint research initiatives that contribute to the growth of AI knowledge and applications.

‘National leader in Artificial Intelligence’

Speaking on this development, IT Minister Nara Lokesh said, “This partnership with NVIDIA marks a decisive step in our vision to position Andhra Pradesh as a national leader in artificial intelligence. By equipping 10,000 students with cutting-edge AI skills and supporting our start up ecosystem, we are laying the foundation for a future-ready economy driven by innovation, research, and entrepreneurship.”

The collaboration will further extend to the development of cutting-edge computational infrastructure required for the proposed AI University. NVIDIA will assist in identifying the necessary tools, software platforms, and hardware capabilities to ensure the university is equipped to deliver world-class education and research outcomes.

“We are proud to collaborate with the Government of Andhra Pradesh in building a strong and inclusive AI ecosystem. This initiative reflects our commitment to democratizing access to AI education, accelerating research, and enabling start ups to innovate at scale. Together, we aim to create a model that can inspire similar efforts across the country,” said, Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director, Asia South, NVIDIA.

Another key aspect of the MoU is the sharing of experience and best practices in establishing next-generation AI Factories. NVIDIA will provide insights from its global expertise in operationalizing AI Factories that serve as hubs for innovation, industry collaboration, and talent incubation aimed at democratisation of AI.

The partnership also includes a strong focus on entrepreneurship. The Government of Andhra Pradesh intends to facilitate up to 500 AI-focused start ups from the state in applying to the NVIDIA Inception Program during the term of this MoU, subject to the program’s eligibility criteria and availability.

This initiative is expected to create a significant boost to the start up ecosystem in the region by providing emerging companies with access to NVIDIA’s global network, technical resources, and market opportunities.

This MoU represents a significant milestone in Andhra Pradesh’s ambition to become a hub for advanced AI research, education, and innovation. By combining the technological leadership of NVIDIA with the vision of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the initiative aims to build a sustainable and scalable AI ecosystem that delivers long-term economic and social value, an official release claimed.