Nara Lokesh apologises to Amara Raja, says Andhra Pradesh lost major investment due to YSRCP harassment

Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh expressed regret over the treatment of Amara Raja during the previous YSRCP government, saying alleged harassment forced the company to shift its Rs 9,500-crore lithium-ion Giga Corridor project to Telangana, costing the State jobs and investment.

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, IT and Electronics Nara Lokesh on Thursday expressed regret over the treatment meted out to the Amara Raja Group during the previous YSRCP government, alleging Andhra Pradesh had lost a historic industrial opportunity due to the “harassment and intimidation” faced by one of its most respected home-grown enterprises.

Reacting to the inauguration of Amara Raja’s new Customer Qualification Plant at the Divitipalli Giga Corridor in Telangana’s Mahabubnagar district, Minister Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh owed an apology to Amara Raja Chairman Galla Jayadev and his family.

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“Over four decades, Amara Raja has been more than just one of Andhra Pradesh’s greatest industrial success stories. It has created world-class manufacturing, generated thousands of jobs, and carried the name of Chittoor and Andhra Pradesh across India and the world,” Minister Lokesh said in a post on X.

“The harassment your company endured under the previous government should never have happened. An entrepreneur who chose to build in his home state deserved encouragement, not intimidation,” he added.

Minister Lokesh said it was painful that a company born in Andhra Pradesh had to look beyond the state’s borders for its next chapter of growth. However, he expressed hope that Amara Raja’s biggest chapters would still be written in the state where its journey began.

“As we rebuild trust, Andhra Pradesh is once again open for enterprise. We hope Amara Raja’s biggest chapters will still be written in the state where its journey began. Our doors, and our hearts, will always remain open,” he said.

According to an official release, “Amara Raja was established by the Galla family after returning from the United States, and was built with the vision of creating employment opportunities for the youth of Chittoor district and transforming the economic landscape of Rayalaseema.

“Over the years, the company grew into one of India’s most respected manufacturing brands with a global footprint. Despite its expansion, its major manufacturing operations remained in Chittoor, creating livelihoods for thousands of local families.

“However, during the YSRCP regime, the company found itself at the centre of a vindictive confrontation with the state government because its Chairman, Galla Jayadev, was a prominent TDP Member of Parliament.”

The official release added that the previous YSRCP government, “which was often accused of adopting a vindictive approach towards investors and businesses, moved to reclaim nearly 253 acres of industrial land allotted to the company and later initiated a series of actions against its manufacturing units.

“The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board’s closure notices to Amara Raja’s flagship battery plants in Chittoor attracted national attention. Reports also surfaced of disruptions to power and water supply to the company’s facilities, even as legal proceedings were underway.

“Faced with an increasingly uncertain business environment, Amara Raja eventually shifted its ambitious ₹9,500-crore Lithium-ion Giga Corridor project to neighbouring Telangana. The inauguration of the Customer Qualification Plant at the Divitipalli Giga Corridor marks a major milestone in that project and serves as a reminder of the opportunity Andhra Pradesh lost.”

The project is expected to generate thousands of jobs, substantial tax revenues in Telangana. The jobs that could have transformed the lives of thousands of young people in Chittoor and the revenues that could have strengthened Andhra Pradesh’s economy have instead gone to a neighbouring state because of the vileness of the YSRCP regime, the release added