Naidu woos UAE companies for food processing projects in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu invited UAE companies to invest in the state's food processing sector during talks with UAE Economy and Tourism Minister Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri at the CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam. Naidu highlighted opportunities in a proposed food cluster, horticulture development in Rayalaseema, and investments across agriculture, maritime, aerospace and defence sectors.

Visakhapatnam:  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has invited leading companies from the United Arab Emirates to explore investment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh’s food processing sector.

UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, who is in Visakhapatnam to participate in the CII Partnership Summit, met the Chief Minister and discussed investment opportunities across various sectors.

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During the meeting, the Chief Minister explained that the State Government was developing Rayalaseema as a global horticulture hub with an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore. He highlighted that fruits grown in the Rayalaseema region were already being exported to international markets.

The Chief Minister invited UAE-based agrifood company Silal to participate in the food cluster proposed to be established by the UAE. He said Andhra Pradesh offered immense opportunities for investment in the procurement, processing and export of agricultural and food products.

The proposed grounding of the Dubai-based Floormaster industry in Chittoor district also came up for discussion. The Chief Minister urged the UAE Minister to facilitate an early decision on the proposed food cluster.

He also highlighted the investment potential in sectors such as maritime, aerospace and defence and called upon UAE companies to make use of the opportunities available in the State.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also met World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang to explore ways to secure international recognition for innovation, research and creativity in Andhra Pradesh and enhance awareness of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) among startups and entrepreneurs in the State.

The discussions focused on establishing a WIPO–Andhra Pradesh Academy and conducting joint programmes to provide training on Intellectual Property Rights, patents, trademarks, industrial designs and technology protection to students, researchers, startup founders and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The Chief Minister sought WIPO’s support in securing Geographical Indication (GI) tags for the State’s handloom products, handicrafts and other local products. He also requested assistance in expanding markets for existing GI-tagged products and taking their quality standards and branding to the international level.

Chandrababu Naidu said the State Government was encouraging young entrepreneurs and supporting startup companies through the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub. He invited WIPO to work closely with the State Government to further strengthen the startup ecosystem and provide greater impetus to innovation.

The Chief Minister also had a meeting with Japanese Ambassador Keiichi Ono. They discussed industrial investments, skill development, critical minerals, steel industry, green energy and other areas of mutual cooperation.

Chandrababu Naidu said the Andhra Pradesh government was implementing a transparent incentive policy to promote industrial investments in the State. He stated that an escrow account mechanism had been introduced to ensure timely delivery of industrial incentives and to implement the Speed of Doing Business initiative.

The Chief Minister also told the Japanese Ambassador that the State was according high priority to skill development. Andhra Pradesh has a large youth population, and by providing them with industry-oriented skill training, they could be transformed into a highly skilled workforce, he said. He sought the cooperation of Japanese companies in this direction.

Responding positively, the Japanese representatives expressed their willingness to provide skill development training to employees working in industries across the State.

The Japanese representatives raised the issue of ensuring a steady supply of rare earth minerals to Japan. They said such cooperation would help further strengthen the India-Japan partnership in the supply of critical minerals.

They also sought support for the uninterrupted import of semi-finished steel products from the parent company in Japan, required for the final-stage processing at the ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India plant.