Piyush Goyal leads strategic review of industrial nodes in Andhra Pradesh

Focus on innovation, global investment, and sustainable infrastructure drives development in Krishnapatnam, Orvakal, and Kopparthy industrial corridors

New Delhi: Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently chaired a high-level review meeting in Guntur to assess the progress of the NICDC’s industrial nodes in Andhra Pradesh. The review focused on three major nodes: the Krishnapatnam Industrial Area under the Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, the Orvakal Industrial Area under the Hyderabad–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, and the Kopparthy Industrial Area under the Visakhapatnam–Chennai Industrial Corridor.

At the meeting, Goyal emphasized the need to attract anchor investors and startups by developing innovation-friendly ecosystems. He urged officials to establish dedicated incubators to support early-stage enterprises and create robust startup ecosystems. Additionally, plans were discussed to earmark specific zones within each node for MSMEs and startups, providing them with subsidized rates, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and advanced technological support.

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Goyal also called for proactive global engagement and enhanced monitoring mechanisms. He advocated for the organization of country-specific investment conclaves to secure targeted foreign investments and proposed the creation of a centralized dashboard for real-time monitoring of project progress. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of adopting advanced testing and quality control measures to ensure the delivery of world-class infrastructure.

The meeting kicked off with detailed presentations on the three NICDC nodes. The APIIC Vice Chairman and Managing Director provided comprehensive insights, followed by an overview of Andhra Pradesh’s industrial roadmap under the ambitious “Swarna Andhra 2047” framework, presented by the state Industries Secretary. NICDC CEO and MD Rajat Kumar Saini highlighted key challenges such as the fast-tracking of land acquisition, ensuring timely execution of external infrastructure by the state government, and maintaining quality standards throughout project implementation.

The development potential of each node is notable. The Krishnapatnam Node, spread over 2,006 acres, is anticipated to attract investments of around Rs 10,500 crore and generate approximately 1 lakh jobs. The Orvakal Node, covering 2,621 acres, is projected to attract Rs 12,000 crore in investments and create jobs for about 45,000 people. Meanwhile, the Kopparthy Node, spread over 2,596 acres, is expected to draw Rs 8,800 crore in investments and provide employment to roughly 54,000 individuals.

The NICDC, an initiative under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, is committed to developing next-generation industrial smart cities. These smart cities are designed to boost manufacturing, attract investments, generate employment, and enhance India’s global economic competitiveness by ensuring seamless multimodal connectivity, plug-and-play infrastructure, and sustainable urbanisation. The initiative has already spearheaded several flagship corridors, including the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor, the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor, the Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, the East Coast Economic Corridor, and the Bengaluru–Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

This transformative approach reaffirms the Centre’s commitment to not only drive industrial excellence and innovation in Andhra Pradesh but also position the state as a beacon of inclusive and sustainable growth, a vision that may well see the state recognized as “Swarnandhra Pradesh.”