13-Month Effort Brought Data Centre to AP: Lokesh

Andhra Pradesh Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh today said that 13 months of continuous effort went into bringing the upcoming Google data centre to the State.

The centre is expected to be set up in Visakhapatnam with an investment of $15 billion.

On the sixth day of his visit to Australia, Lokesh participated in the CII Partnership Summit Roadshow organised by the Australia India Business Council (AIBC) at the Residency Hall of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne.

Speaking on the occasion, he expressed gratitude to the Australian government for inviting him under the Special Visits Program, and pitched for investments.

"Let me give you three main reasons why you should consider Andhra Pradesh as your investment destination in India. AP has experienced and visionary leadership. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, now in his fourth term, knows how to bring large-scale projects to the State. Secondly, there is strong support from the Central government, ensuring a smooth investment environment in AP. Third, 50% of MLAs in Andhra Pradesh are newly elected, and 17 out of the 25 ministers are first-time members of the Cabinet. We are all working hard to keep the State on top," he said.

Describing Andhra Pradesh as a Startup State, Lokesh said that the government was determined to deliver on its commitments. "Once you join hands with us, it's not your project - it's our project. We create a WhatsApp group for every major investment, and discuss its progress daily with officials and stakeholders. We track every stage - from land allocation to final clearances - and ensure that promises are implemented promptly. Our goal is to complete projects even faster than in the timeframe you specify," he said.

Lokesh also spoke about Andhra Pradesh's proactive governance model, and urged the gathering to invest in the State.