Andhra Pradesh seeks Centre’s support for AI-powered Skill Census

Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh has sought Central support to roll out an AI-powered Skill Census across the State. He briefed Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on the Mangalagiri pilot and sought backing for startups, AVGC-XR centres and IndiaAI expansion

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, IT and Electronics, Nara Lokesh, on Monday sought the Centre’s support for rolling out an AI-powered Skill Census across Andhra Pradesh.

He met Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, at Parliament in New Delhi and explained the pilot project conducted in Mangalagiri.

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He highlighted the introduction of an AI-based interview mechanism to address challenges encountered during the pilot phase. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw responded positively to the request for central assistance, according to an official released here.

Lokesh also sought the Centre’s backing for startup and innovation hubs, AVGC-XR centres, and IndiaAI Expansion in Andhra Pradesh. His meeting with the Union Minister followed his recently concluded visit to the United States.

During his visit to the US, Lokesh had high-level engagements with global technology leaders, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, NVIDIA, Adobe, and several other leading American technology companies.

Lokesh showcased Andhra Pradesh as a fast-emerging hub for technology, innovation, and advanced manufacturing, drawing strong interest for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), R&D facilities, and electronics manufacturing investments in the state.

During the meeting with Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister Lokesh briefed the Union Minister on the outcomes of his US outreach and the strong interest shown by American technology majors in expanding their footprint in India.

The discussions focused on opportunities for collaboration in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, electronics manufacturing, digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies, with Andhra Pradesh positioned as a key beneficiary.

Highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s startup and innovation push, Minister Lokesh urged that the MeitY Startup Hub extend support to the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub, envisioned as a major platform for young entrepreneurs and aspiring startup founders.

He further sought cooperation for setting up Centres of Excellence under the AVGC-XR and WAVEX frameworks, focusing on InnoXR, animation, AR/VR, and immersive technologies.

Minister Lokesh also requested support under the IndiaAI Mission to accelerate the expansion and adoption of artificial intelligence across the state, particularly in governance, education, skilling and industry-driven innovation.