WHILE HE is holding investment roadshows in London these days, a reply on X by him to a post by a start-up CEO from Bengaluru showed that Andhra Pradesh Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh is not averse to using unconventional ways to get business to his state.
On Tuesday, Rajesh Yabaji, the co-founder and CEO of logistics start-up BlackBuck, expressed his frustration over Bengaluru’s pothole-filled roads in a post on X saying: “ORR Bellandur has been our office + home for the last nine years. But it’s now very, very hard to continue here. We have decided to move out.”
Lokesh replied with an offer to Yabaji to relocate to Visakhapatnam. “Hi Rajesh, can I interest you in relocating your company to Vizag? We are rated among the top five cleanest cities in India, are building best-in-class infra, and have been rated the safest city for women,” the TDP leader who is seen as the political successor of his father and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu posted.
Lokesh may have kept the tone of the exchange deliberately casual and informal, but Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar was not buying it. The state government could not be “blackmailed”, Shivakumar, who considers Bengaluru his backyard, replied.
Lokesh had a response ready for Shivakumar as well. “Here’s what sets AP apart from others – we don’t dismiss our people’s genuine grievances as ‘blackmail’. We treat them with the dignity and seriousness they deserve,” he posted on X Thursday.
Lokesh’s office told The Indian Express that they were very much in touch with the BlackBuck CEO. But Yabaji – who perhaps had not accounted for the sudden attention on him – “unilaterally refuted” claims that BlackBuck was considering moving out of Bengaluru.
“We are only relocating within the city to a different location, which will facilitate an easy commute for our employees… We will not only continue to remain in the city of Bengaluru, but will also expand our footprint here,” he said in a statement.
Whether Andhra gets BlackBuck or not, Lokesh says he would continue to use social media to woo businesses, and that Andhra – “the youngest state in the country” – could do with all the investment it could get. “Social media really helps in putting out a message that we are open and hungry for business,” he told The Indian Express.
In July, Lokesh put up a post inviting the aerospace industry to look at Andhra as a destination. Again, some people in Karnataka took umbrage as the post was seen as a dig at the Congress government’s decision to scrap acquisition of land for an aerospace park near the Kempegowda International Airport.
Karnataka ministers accused Andhra CM Naidu of trying to relocate Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) from Karnataka.
Lokesh sees nothing wrong with a little healthy competition among states, saying “the country would ultimately benefit”. “We must recognise that governments survive on the taxes businesses pay. Naidu has said many times that the right to distribute wealth comes only when we create it. We need to give businesses a conducive platform to operate and grow. This is our goal.”
In August, Lokesh used X to invite Zomato and LAT Aerospace founder Deepinder Goyal to set up shop in the state. Again responding to a post, by Goyal, Lokesh said, “An indigenous gas turbine is just what India needs. Let’s build this in Andhra Pradesh @deepigoyal? We have a best-in-class Aerospace policy, super-fast approval process and incentives that can be tailored for you.”
After the Centre announced ramping up defence production in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, Lokesh invited industries to set up units in the five defence corridors established by the state.
As part of his UK trip, Lokesh hosted an investor roadshow in London earlier this week. The meeting was timed months before the CII Partnership Summit, slated to be held on November 14–15 in Visakhapatnam.
“The UK Roadshow is not just about investments but about building long-term partnerships in booming industries like data centers, semi-conductors, renewable energy, EVs, and AI-led innovation. The government’s long-term roadmap is to transform Andhra Pradesh into a USD 2.4 trillion economy by 2047,’’ the minister told The Indian Express.
The TDP-led NDA government, which has earmarked over one lakh acres of land for existing and upcoming clusters, has come under attack from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) over its “aggressive” land acquisition. “Forcibly seizing farmers’ lands without their approval is not only unacceptable but also sets a dangerous precedent that could lead to widespread unrest. Why issue a notification for thousands of acres when existing lands are lying vacant?” former state minister Merugu Nagarjuna said.
At a meeting with party MLCs and MLAs Thursday, YSRCP chief and former CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy vowed to fight against the Naidu government for ignoring “people’s issues”.
All in the numbers
- According to Andhra government data, the state has attracted investments worth Rs 10.6 lakh crore since Naidu took over last year. These are likely to provide over 7.6 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities.
- While the state’s energy sector has attracted investments worth around Rs 5.46 lakh crore, the figure is Rs 4.74 lakh crore for the industrial sector, with possible job opportunities around 3.92 lakh and 2.56 lakh, respectively. These sectors are followed by IT and food processing, and tourism.
- Some of the major players who have set up or are in the process of setting up operations in Andhra include Apollo Tyres, ArcelorMittal Nippon, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Daikin, ITC Hotels, LG, Lulu Group, NTPC, and Hindalco, among others.