AP bags 5% of India’s FDI, signals investor trust: CM
- Naidu says strong leadership and transparency rebuilt investor confidence
- People lived in fear before the coalition government took charge
- Reaffirms commitment to Amaravati as AP’s permanent capital
Nagari (Chittoor dist): Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that strong leadership and clean governance have enabled Andhra Pradesh to attract massive investments in a short period.
Addressing the Swarn Andhra–Swachh Andhra programme at Nagari in Chittoor district on Saturday, Naidu said the state had secured investments worth Rs 20 lakh crore within just 18 months of the coalition government assuming office.
Recalling the situation prior to the 2024 elections, Naidu said the state was going through one of its most difficult phases. “There was fear everywhere. People were afraid even to speak or smile,” he said. According to him, the situation changed after the new government took charge and prioritised transparent administration and political stability, while rebuilding public confidence.
The Chief Minister said that five per cent of the total Foreign Direct Investment flowing into the country is now coming to Andhra Pradesh, reflecting “investor trust”.
He attributed this to policy clarity, ease of doing business, and a corruption-free environment, adding that investors respond positively when governance is clean.
Reiterating the government’s position on the state’s capital, Naidu asserted that Amaravati will remain the permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh. He said the government is committed to developing Amaravati into a world-class city while ensuring decentralised development so that every region moves forward. He averred that no conspiracies or obstacles could halt Amaravati’s growth.
Speaking on technology and development, Naidu said he was earlier criticised for giving importance to technology, but the same technology is now driving economic growth. He said the state had once struggled to ensure uninterrupted power supply, but today initiatives such as PM Surya Ghar and the KUSUM scheme have made it possible for households and farmers to install solar power systems, with support from the state government.
“People are our real wealth,” Naidu remarked, adding that while population control was the focus in the past, the present challenge is population management. He said new policies would be framed in line with this approach, stressing that AP should aim to emerge as one of the country’s leading states.
Naidu pointed out that the state government has reduced power procurement costs while keeping electricity tariffs unchanged, in line with the election promise of the coalition. Criticising the previous government, he alleged that former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had printed his photographs even on land ownership documents. He said the current government is distributing passbooks with the state emblem and claimed that the earlier Land Titling Act was misused for land grabbing, warning people against forgetting such practices.
The Chief Minister said the Polavaram project would be completed by 2027 and that water would be brought to Rayalaseema to address farmers’ problems.
Targeting the previous regime, he alleged large-scale irregularities in sand, mining, and liquor, and claimed that even ghee meant for temples was adulterated, referring to the scam at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams during 2019–24. Reacting to Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s allegation that Naidu was resorting to “credit theft”, he said the charge was a blatant lie and questioned what credit the former Chief Minister had.
Nagari MLA G Bhanu Prakash, Chittoor MP D Prasada Rao, incharge minister M Ramprasad Reddy, Collector Sumit Kumar and others were present.
