VIJAYAWADA: Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh held several high-level meetings with global technology and investment leaders on the fourth day of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.
Lokesh presented Andhra Pradesh as a future-ready hub for digital innovation, advanced manufacturing, and large-scale infrastructure investment.
In a meeting with Tech Mahindra CEO and MD Mohit Joshi, the minister urged the company to expedite plans for a large IT campus in Vijayawada, expected to employ 5,000 to 10,000 professionals, and also to accelerate its delivery expansion in Visakhapatnam.
He also proposed establishing a dedicated skilling campus in either Vijayawada or Visakhapatnam, focusing on AI and ML, cloud and IoT, cybersecurity, and Industry 4.0 technologies.
Seeking support for the startup ecosystem, Lokesh called for a partnership with the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub to mentor and scale Andhra Pradesh-based startups, as well as establishing a Centre of Excellence in Smart Manufacturing and Industrial Automation at IIT Tirupati and a Quantum Computing Lab in the Amaravati Quantum Valley.
Joshi said that Tech Mahindra would examine these proposals, noting that the company had already partnered with the state to establish India’s first state-wide Cybersecurity Operations Center.
Lokesh also met with Blackstone Chairman and CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman and invited the global investment leader to explore Grade-A office space and integrated mixed-use developments in Visakhapatnam through platforms such as Embassy Office Parks and Nexus Select Trust. He highlighted opportunities for industrial and logistics parks along the Chennai-Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridors, and presented Visakhapatnam as a strong contender for hyperscale data center investments, citing coastal connectivity, reliable power, and digital infrastructure.
Schwarzman said that Blackstone would study these proposals. He added that the firm is already developing a 500 MW hyperscale data center campus near Navi Mumbai with an investment of approximately ₹20,000 crore.
In another meeting, Lokesh met with Capgemini CEO Aiman Ezzat and urged him to establish an integrated IT development center, a global capability center, and a vertical BPM hub in Visakhapatnam. He also proposed a partnership with state universities to jointly develop a digital talent pipeline and emerging technology labs in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and digital engineering, along with joint mentoring of startups through RTIH.
Ezzat said that Capgemini plans to hire 45,000 professionals in India to build an AI and cloud-ready workforce and would consider the state’s proposals.
