Andhra to become knowledge hub, focus on future technology: CM Naidu

Amaravati, Sep 26 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said the state will be developed as a knowledge hub and a destination for future technology to achieve the “one family-one entrepreneur” goal.

Addressing the Assembly, Naidu said the NDA alliance government has provided employment to 4.71 lakh youth through a focus on skill development.

In addition, appointment orders were handed over to 15,941 teachers.

“Andhra Pradesh will be developed as a knowledge hub and a destination for future technology to achieve the one family-one entrepreneur goal,” he said.

Naidu noted that a skill census programme has analysed the skills of 3.5 crore people thus far. He stressed that providing jobs to youth in both government and private sectors remains a top priority, adding that efforts are underway to create employment for 5,500 people through a work-from-home model.

Highlighting plans to foster competitiveness among youth, Naidu said an aviation university and a logistics university are being set up, along with a Government of India centre of excellence.

On tourism, he said the sector has been accorded industry status, with a target to create 50,000 hotel rooms and promote homestays across the state.

On logistics, Naidu announced the establishment of an Andhra Pradesh Logistics Corporation to make the state a leading logistics hub.

He said the government will prepare a blueprint to lower logistics costs by developing a multi-modal transport system, promoting water transport through rivers and canals, and laying pipelines for commodities such as iron ore.

Naidu also said the government has formulated an action plan to improve nearly 15,000 km of roads under the Roads and Buildings Department, with an investment of 4,500 crore.

"This year, we will work on all these. This government will take responsibility for laying better roads to go to any village. There will not be any issue with any road. We will make those arrangements," he said.

Naidu added that Andhra Pradesh ranks second after Gujarat in cargo handling, with ports currently handling 182 million tonnes of cargo.

Capacity is expected to increase by another 100 million tonnes once four more ports are completed, the chief minister said.

He further said a bullet train project connecting Hyderabad, Amaravati, Chennai, and Bengaluru is underway.

Naidu expressed confidence that Bhogapuram Airport near Visakhapatnam will be operational by August 2026 and said Amaravati Airport is being planned as the gateway hub for the east.

Currently, the state has six operational airports, one under construction, and eight more in development. Naidu noted that Visakhapatnam, traditionally known as a port and steel city, is emerging as a major IT hub, with Google setting up a data centre and firms such as TCS, Cognizant, and Accenture establishing offices there. PTI STH SSK