AP will be developed as knowledge hub: Naidu

Vijayawada: ChiefMinister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said that the State would be developed into a 2.4 trillion-dollar economy by 2047. He further said that the state would be transformed 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 had provided employment to 4.71 lakh youth through a focus on skill development in the last 15 months. In addition, appointment orders were handed over to 15,941 teachers. “Andhra Pradesh will be developed as a knowledge hub and a destinationfor 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.

The Chief Minister said he had earlier made Hyderabad an IT hub and would now turn Amaravati into a “quantum valley” at the international level. Steady efforts were being made to boost industrial growth and build investor confidence, he added.

Naidu blamed the previous YSRCP government for creating an uncertain policy environment that drove industries and investors away. “The Centre itself told me that the policies followed here were damaging India’s global image,” he said. He claimed many investors had avoided the state out of fear of harassment. “I assured them that such people will not return to power. That is why confidence is returning now,” he told the House.

The government has set a target of creating 20 lakh jobs by 2029, Naidu said, adding that a six-member ministerial sub-committee has been formed for the task.

Naidu placed special focus on logistics and transport. According to him, India spends about Rs 24 lakh crore annually on logistics, nearly 8 per cent of GDP, with road transport alone accounting for 41 per cent. “If logistics costs come down, production costs will also fall. That benefits producers and consumers alike,” he said. The Chief Minister stressed the need to expand ports, airports, roads, railways, pipelines, and multimodal transport.

Recalling his earlier work on the Golden Quadrilateral, Naidu noted that AP has 4,739 km of national highways. The Centre has assured two- and four-lane upgrades as well as a high-speed rail corridor. According to him, the state government has formulated an action plan to improve nearly 15,000 km of roads under the Roads and Buildings Department, with an investment of Rs 4,500 crore.

On railways, he said the Hyderabad–Bengaluru and Hyderabad–Chennai corridors would soon have four lines. A railway zone has been created in Visakhapatnam, and high-speed trains will also run through the state.

Naidu further said that Andhra Pradesh’s 1,053 km coastline would offer huge growth potential. “The state can handle 320 million tonnes of cargo, but today we handle only 12 million,” he said. Ramayapatnam port would be completed by April 2026 and Machilipatnam by December 2026, he added.