Amaravati, Jan 1
The re-launch of Amaravati capital development works, Google's announcement to set up a $15 billion AI data centre in Visakhapatnam, and agreements for major investments across sectors were among the key developments in Andhra Pradesh in the year 2025.
The highlight was the resumption of state capital works, as promised by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition during the elections held in 2024. With the support of the BJP-led government at the Centre, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu restarted work on his dream project.
On May 2, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi re-launched the Amaravati development works, nearly 10 years after laying the foundation stone for the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. The state government restarted work on projects worth Rs 56,000 crore, including the High Court, Legislative Assembly, State Secretariat, and four towers housing Heads of Departments (HoDs).
Chief Minister Naidu is confident that the works will be completed by March 2028.
The year also saw the launch of the second phase of land pooling in Amaravati. Under this phase, 16,666 acres of land will be acquired across seven mandals in the Amaravati capital region. According to Naidu, the existing 29-village footprint is inadequate to build a metropolitan entity comparable to Hyderabad.
In October, he inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) office, marking a significant milestone in the capital's development. The state-of-the-art seven-storey structure, spread over a built-up area of 28,562 square metres, has been constructed in the upcoming administrative core of Amaravati.
In November last year, CM Naidu, along with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, laid the foundation stone for the regional headquarters of 15 public sector banks and insurance companies in Amaravati.
The government also announced ambitious plans to develop Amaravati as a Quantum Valley, on the lines of Silicon Valley in the United States. Naidu expressed confidence that Andhra Pradesh would lead the quantum revolution in India.
"Within six months, the first quantum computer will be operated from Amaravati and within two years, quantum computers will be manufactured here and supplied to the world," he said in a recent event.
Google's announcement to set up its largest data centre in Visakhapatnam came as a major boost to the state. Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh believes this development will transform Visakhapatnam in the same way Microsoft's facility transformed Hyderabad.
It is estimated that Google's $15 billion investment over five years would generate employment for 1.88 lakh people, create a Rs 48,000-crore impact on the local economy during the period, and have a 25-times multiplier effect.
The state government claims to have attracted investments worth $120 billion (Rs 10 lakh crore) over the last 16 months. During the recently held CII Summit in Visakhapatnam, the government entered into 610 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) involving investments of Rs 13.25 lakh crore, expected to generate 16.13 lakh jobs.
The government has decided to set up MSME parks in all 175 Assembly constituencies. Lokesh claimed Andhra Pradesh is attracting massive investments due to the speed of doing business, in which the State ranks first.
With a cluster-based approach and vertical and horizontal integration, the government has set a target of transforming Andhra Pradesh into a $2.4 trillion economy by 2047. The Greater Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor alone is envisioned as a $1 trillion economy. The state will have three economic corridors, with the other two in Amaravati and Rayalaseema.
Anantapur has been developed as a mobility valley with the KIA Motors plant, while the north Anantapur and Kurnool districts are attracting major renewable energy, pumped storage projects, and cement factories. An electronics manufacturing ecosystem is being created in Chittoor and Kadapa districts, and Nellore district already has a large industrial ecosystem in the form of Sri City.
The government is working towards fulfilling its 'Super Six' promise of creating 20 lakh jobs in five years, with five lakh jobs targeted in the IT sector alone.
To deliver on these commitments, the coalition government rolled out several welfare schemes. Under the Talliki Vandanam scheme, financial assistance of Rs 10,090 crore was disbursed to benefit 67.27 lakh students. The scheme provides Rs 15,000 annually for every child studying in a government school.
On August 15, the government introduced the Stree Sakthi scheme, offering free travel for women in APSRTC buses. So far, 3.25 crore women have availed the facility, with the government spending Rs 1,144 crore on the scheme.
The government also distributed three free LPG cylinders per year, benefiting two crore women at a cost of Rs 2,684 crore. Under the Annadata Sukhibhava scheme, Rs 6,310 crore was credited to the accounts of 46 lakh farmers.
Under the NTR Bharosa pension scheme, Rs 33,000 crore is being distributed annually to over 63 lakh beneficiaries.
To improve governance delivery, the government introduced citizen services through WhatsApp Governance and adopted data-driven decision-making for disaster management.
In August, the government rolled out the ambitious P4 Initiative (Public-Private-People Partnership) to achieve the goal of zero poverty by 2029. The initiative aims to empower underprivileged families through community participation, mentorship, and access to resources.
The P4 model focuses on connecting wealthier individuals and institutions with needy families to provide customised support for employment, healthcare, and entrepreneurship, while integrating existing welfare schemes and leveraging technology, including AI, for needs assessment.
- IANS
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