Vijayawada:IT and electronics minister Nara Lokesh has announced an ambitious goal of creating one million jobs in the IT, electronics, data centres, and Global Capability Centre sectors in AP over the next four years.
In a review meeting with senior officials from the education, IT and electronics department, Lokesh said 95 leading companies have committed to investing Rs 1 lakh crore in setting up IT and electronics industries, GCCs and data centres. “We must expedite the necessary permissions and infrastructure support for these companies.”
With land allocations for prestigious firms such as TCS and Cognizant in Visakhapatnam having been completed, the minister urged these companies to commence their operations.
Lokesh noted that two companies, ANSR and Satva, signed MoUs for establishing GCCs, which could create 35,000 jobs. He stressed the need for constant communication with these companies to speed up matters. To boost the landscape for small businesses, he suggested creation of co-working spaces in 26 district centres.
The minister also announced the imminent launch of the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub, aimed at fostering innovations and supporting startups. Alongside this initiative, he advised officials to help establish regional spoke centres in Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, Tirupati and Anantapur.
Lokesh said a partnership involving TCS, L&T, and IBM has been formed for the prestigious Amaravati Quantum Valley project, urging officials to focus on developing the necessary infrastructure for this initiative. He called for completion of the Drone City project spread over 400 acres in Orvakal, Kurnool district, within a year. He also emphasized the creation of a robust ecosystem around it.
Locally, drone services have proven invaluable during flooding. Plans were mooted at the meeting for holding of events in districts such as Nellore to educate the public on drone applications in agriculture, policing and meteorology.
The minister directed officials to broaden the promotion of the Manamitra WhatsApp Governance system, which has already been successfully implemented for 535 out of 702 public-government services. He called for reforms that would simplify the process for students needing certificates from revenue offices.
Lokesh proposed a blockchain integration approach for educational certificates, including caste certificates, to streamline access through Manamitra.
The minister also called for action to ensure internet connectivity across all 45,000 government schools in the state. He sought uninterrupted phone connectivity at airports such as Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati, and Rajahmundry.
The meeting was attended by senior officials, including IT secretary Katamneni Bhaskar, APIIC MD Abhishikth Kishore, economic development board CEO Saikant Varma and others.