VIZAG, November 14, 2025: Under a canopy of palm trees and the distant hum of the Bay of Bengal, Visakhapatnam's Andhra University grounds buzzed with the kind of optimism that only a carefully choreographed international gathering can muster. On the first day of the 30th Confederation of Indian Industry Partnership Summit, over 300 foreign delegates from 80 countries—executives in crisp suits mingling with policymakers in khadi—gathered to toast Andhra Pradesh's pitch as India's next economic dynamo. The theme, "Navigating the New Geoeconomic Order," was no mere slogan; it was a declaration of intent from a state long overshadowed by its neighbors, now leveraging its ports, hills, and ambition to lure the world's capital.
Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan set the tone in his inaugural address, framing Andhra as a beacon of investor trust in a fractured world. "India's economic transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lifted crores from poverty," he said, crediting reforms in taxation and digital infrastructure for the nation's climb to the fourth-largest economy. Turning to Andhra, Radhakrishnan praised its "ease of doing business" and "strong Centre-State partnership," predicting it would hit a $1 trillion economy. "This summit is a platform for technology, trust, and trade," he added, urging delegates to see Visakhapatnam not as a pit stop, but as an "investment paradise" for quantum tech and green hydrogen. The room erupted in applause, a nod to the state's quiet pivot from political turbulence to pragmatic allure.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal followed, painting Visakhapatnam as "a global trade hub rooted in rich heritage and modern innovation." He invoked India's growth story—"built on trust, transparency, innovation, and inclusion"—and invited partners to deepen ties for "shared prosperity." Goyal's words carried weight, coming from a man who has steered billions in deals for the Make in India initiative. Yet, beneath the rhetoric lay Andhra's raw appeal: its 1,000-kilometer coastline, deep-sea port, and untapped renewable potential. The state, he implied, was ready to bridge India's $5 trillion ambition with the world's supply chains.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, ever the architect of visions, took the stage with characteristic flair, launching India's first "Drone City" as a symbol of Andhra's leap into advanced tech. "Vision. Innovation. Zeal. Aspiration. Growth," he intoned, coining an acronym for the summit's ethos. Naidu positioned Andhra as a "gateway for global investments," blessed with natural resources and a "speed of doing business" that rivals Singapore. He announced fresh incentives for tourism, renewables, and industry, while unveiling pre-summit MoUs worth ₹3.65 lakh crore—primarily in energy at ₹2.65 lakh crore. "Vizag will showcase the best Andhra has to offer," he declared, from quantum valleys to green hydrogen clusters, turning the port city into the "safest gateway for global trade." It was classic Naidu: a blend of data-driven promises and audacious scale, reminding delegates why he once built Hyderabad into a tech mecca.
Nara Lokesh, the IT minister, followed with a pitch honed in Silicon Valley boardrooms. "Three clear reasons to choose Andhra: strong leadership, rapid development, and close Union coordination," he said, distilling the state's case. Lokesh emphasized "speed" as the investor's ultimate ask: "Grant land permits, approvals, incentives as fast as projects take off." He touted the cluster model for IT and electronics—vertical integration for components, horizontal ties between academia and industry—to meet long-term needs. Vizag, he insisted, was "a key engine of India's economic scale-up," fast-tracking Amaravati while drawing $20 billion in commitments. Lokesh's delivery, sharp and Silicon-polished, landed like a startup pitch: efficient, scalable, and unapologetically ambitious.
Karan Adani, managing director of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd., brought the corporate heft. He dubbed Naidu "the Original CEO of Andhra Pradesh," crediting his "entrepreneurial governance and startup-level innovation" for turbocharging the state. "Policy alone does not create history—vision does," Adani declared, announcing Adani Group's existing ₹40,000 crore investments in ports, logistics, cement, infrastructure, and renewables, with plans for another ₹1 lakh crore over the decade in data centers and energy. The flagship: a $15 billion Vizag Tech Park with Google, powered by green energy, to fortify India's digital sovereignty. Adani's words resonated with the room's tycoons, who saw in Andhra a canvas for their next big bet.
Shobana Kamineni, executive chairperson of Apollo Hospitals and a healthcare pioneer, echoed the sentiment. "With its strategic location, robust infrastructure, and progressive policies, Andhra Pradesh has always been a land of opportunities," she said. Apollo's expansions in Vizag for medical tourism and tech-enabled care, she added, were proof of the state's healthcare leadership and job creation potential. Sudarshan Venu, chairman of TVS Motor Company, called the summit a "special moment," praising Naidu's mission for "Swarna Andhra 2047" as bold and real. TVS's EV manufacturing in Anantapur, he noted, thrived on Vizag's fintech and industrial vibe. Yusuf Ali, chairman of Lulu Group, envisioned Andhra as "not just development, but a story of progress and resilience," with his mega Vizag mall and food export initiatives set to tap the state's organic bounty.
As the day wound down, the summit's promise hung in the air: potential MoUs worth ₹10 lakh crore, pre-summit deals already at ₹3.65 lakh crore, and over 1.26 lakh jobs on the line. Yet, beneath the champagne toasts, challenges loomed. Andhra's coastal allure masks vulnerabilities—cyclone-prone ports, water scarcity in the hinterlands, and a workforce needing upskilling for the AI era. Naidu's $1 trillion dream demands not just dollars, but deft navigation of global headwinds, from U.S. tariffs to China's supply chain shadow.
For Andhra Pradesh, the summit isn't just a stage; it's a high-wire act. Success could cement its place as India's eastern vanguard, a bridge between the subcontinent and the Pacific.
