Lokesh seeks tie-ups with Oz organizations
IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh greets Steve Dimopoulos, Victoria’s Minister for Environment, Tourism, and Sports on Thursday
Boosting health, tourism and green skills projects in AP
Amaravati: Minister for IT and HRD Nara Lokesh, who is currently on a visit to Australia, has invited leading Australian and multinational organizations to collaborate with Andhra Pradesh in key sectors, including healthcare, tourism, renewable energy, and green skill development.
In Melbourne, Lokesh met Bijal Sejpal, Chief Operating Officer of Bupa Asia Pacific, and Dinesh Kanteti, head of Enterprise Intelligence, proposing the establishment of a Bupa Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Visakhapatnam, while projecting the port city as a major IT and data hub.
Further, he sought Bupa’s collaboration in digital healthcare delivery in rural areas for enhancing access to quality health services there. Responding positively, Sejpal assured Lokesh that Bupa would review the proposals with its global leadership before taking a call.
The Minister also met Steve Dimopoulos, Victoria’s Minister for Environment, Tourism, and Sports, exploring partnerships in eco-branding, sustainable tourism, and sports development. Drawing inspiration from Victoria’s Great Ocean Road model, Lokesh proposed joint projects to develop and brand Andhra Pradesh’s natural attractions such as Papikondalu and Visakhapatnam Beach. He sought Victoria’s support also in waste management, carbon-neutral tourism, and coastal resilience research, like initiatives around Port Phillip Bay.
To strengthen sports and youth engagement, Lokesh invited Victoria to support global-scale sporting events in Andhra Pradesh, training in event management, and student exchange programmes in sports science. He proposed joint training camps and friendly tournaments in cricket and hockey, and collaboration in developing adventure tourism at Araku and Pulicat.
On the energy front, Lokesh explored Victoria’s expertise in offshore wind and solar power, proposing joint initiatives for green job skills development to empower youth in the State.
Later, during his visit to the University of Tasmania (UTAS), Lokesh met Prof Natalie Brown, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, to discuss collaboration in education and healthcare innovation. He sought the support of UTAS in designing pharmacy and paramedical curricula aligned with global accreditation standards, and in integrating AI and telemedicine into medical training.
The discussions also focused on joint research in rural health and drinking water, student and faculty exchanges in nursing and pharmacy, and international skill certification programs to enhance global placement opportunities. Lokesh emphasized benchmarking Andhra Pradesh’s pharmacy qualifications with Australian standards to boost international employability of AP’s students.
Lokesh’s visit to Australia was aimed at attracting investments and building strategic academic, healthcare, and sustainability partnerships to position Andhra Pradesh as a forward-looking, globally connected state.
