Lokesh seeks PanIIT support for Andhra Pradesh’s ambitions

Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh urged PanIIT alumni, academics and industry leaders to help the state pursue its ambition of becoming India’s No. 1 state, while saying India could attain developed-nation status within a decade. He made the remarks at PanIIT events in Vijayawada, including a dinner meeting attended by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on October 2 and the PanIIT Andhra Pradesh Summit on October 3. Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh wanted to contribute to India’s development and asked technology experts, businesses and educational institutions to share their experience and ideas. He cited sectors including horticulture, drones, quantum technology, space technology and data centres as areas of activity and opportunity. The ambition and projected national timeline were statements by Lokesh; the accounts provided no targets or independent measures to assess their progress. At the summit, Lokesh called the next decade a “golden decade” and said the state’s development approach emphasized speed, service and stability. He said the government aimed to move projects beyond agreements and into implementation, with employment creation among its objectives.