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Nara Lokesh, Minister for Human Resources Development of Andhra Pradesh, defended the state government’s investment policies, rejected allegations of unfairness, and emphasised cooperation with the Centre, asserting that the state would secure its rightful share through “collective federalism”.

He also pitched Andhra Pradesh as a prime destination for global investment, highlighting recent deals, policy initiatives, and the government’s strategy to attract major companies.

Rejects ‘Bully’ Tag, Emphasises Collective Federalism

Responding to accusations that the state was being treated unfairly, Lokesh said he did not subscribe to the notion of coercive politics.

“I believe in the power of collective federalism. If you look at our political party, though we are regional, we have India at heart and Mr. Naidu has always contributed to India's growth story,” he said, referring to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Citing past reforms, he added, “The example of this is the relationship he had with Vajpayee ji. That's where telecom de-relation happened. That's where PPP came into aviation sector.”

Lokesh said the state had worked closely with the Centre on key policy initiatives. “We worked exceptionally hard for it. We worked with Nirmala ma'am, we worked with Ashwini ji, we worked with the Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's office to create a framework which will obviously benefit India at large, and Andhra Pradesh as a state will have first movers' advantage.”

“I don't believe in the word bully, I believe in collective federalism. I believe that the state will get its own share,” he said.

He also clarified the government’s political stance, stating: “We did not go to an election campaign saying we will ask for special status, we never said that.”

Positions Andhra Pradesh As Entrepreneurship Hub

Lokesh made a strong pitch for Andhra Pradesh as a preferred destination for entrepreneurs and global investors, citing leadership and ease of doing business.

“The first thing is that our chief minister has an amazing track record, he requires no introduction here. The second is the speed of doing business, the way we landed Google, ArcelorMittal,” he said.

He added that project execution timelines reflected the state’s efficiency. “Arcelor Mittal got cleared in less than about 17 months. Third week of March we are going to lay foundations for India's largest steel plant.”

Highlighting alignment between the state and the Centre, Lokesh said: “While other states have double engine Sarkar, Andhra Pradesh has double engine bullet train Sarkar. Both Mr. Naidu and Mr. Modi are the bullet train. I call it NaMo (Naidu and Modi).”

He further claimed that this approach had helped attract significant investments. “That's also how we got 25.3% of investments in India to the state of Andhra Pradesh.”

Defends ‘99 Paise’ Land Policy To Attract Global Firms

Lokesh also addressed concerns over offering land to companies at nominal prices, saying the policy was designed to maximise long-term economic benefits.

“One, it's not lease, it's an outright sale at 99 paise, and that is my competitive advantage and I need to give that to Fortune 500 companies because I believe that the kind of ecosystem that these kind of companies create to the economic value addition that these companies create in my state, far outweighs the cost at which I give them the land,” he said.

He maintained that such incentives were essential to attract global corporations and generate jobs and economic growth.

Cognizant Deal Highlighted As Example Of Strategy

Lokesh cited the state’s agreement with Cognizant as a model of its investment-driven approach.

“A great example of this is how I closed the deal with Cognizant. The first Davos Ravi and I shook hands, by the time we went back, second Davos we broke ground. By third Davos they got to complete their first building,” he said.

He added that despite challenges posed by artificial intelligence, the project would deliver significant employment.

“In so much of headwind with AI coming in, it's still going to create a campus which will create close to 25,000 jobs in Vishakhapatnam and this is Cognizant,” Lokesh said.

Centre–State Coordination Key To Policy Framework

Lokesh also pointed to collaboration with the Union government on emerging sectors such as data centres, saying the policy framework would benefit both the state and the country.

He reiterated that Andhra Pradesh’s approach was rooted in partnership rather than confrontation, asserting that coordinated efforts between state and central leadership would help accelerate economic growth and investment.