AP CM Chandrababu Naidu Meets Global Leaders at Davos, Secures Key Investments for Andhra Pradesh
)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been actively engaging with global leaders and tech giants during his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos. On the third day of his visit, Naidu met with Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, who proposed establishing a design center in Visakhapatnam. The Andhra Pradesh government has pledged full support for this initiative, which aims to boost the state's IT infrastructure and create job opportunities.
In a significant highlight, Naidu shared the stage with Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde during the Country Strategic Dialogue. The trio discussed collaborative opportunities for regional development. Naidu also tweeted photos of the meeting, captioning it as 'Team India at the World Economic Forum.'
Naidu's meeting with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates focused on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for Andhra Pradesh's development. Gates was invited to join the advisory board of a world-class AI university planned in the state. Additionally, Naidu urged Gates to consider Andhra Pradesh as a gateway for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's initiatives in India.
Google Cloud, the world's third-largest cloud provider, has already established two cloud regions in India (Delhi and Mumbai) and recently signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to set up a data city in Visakhapatnam. Kurian also requested the state's support in establishing a manufacturing unit to connect Google's server supply chain.
In another key meeting, Naidu discussed green energy investments with Petronas President and Group CEO Muhammad Taufik. Petronas aims to produce 5 million tons of green ammonia annually by 2030 and is considering investments worth ₹13,000-15,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada plant. Naidu also invited Petronas to invest in the state's upcoming petrochemical hub in Moolapeta.
PepsiCo International Beverages CEO Eugene Willemsen and Foundation Chairman Stephen Kehoe also met with Naidu. The CM proposed establishing a global delivery center and digital hub in Visakhapatnam, leveraging PepsiCo's existing bottling plant in Sri City.
These meetings underscore Andhra Pradesh's growing prominence as a hub for global investments in technology, green energy, and infrastructure. Naidu's efforts at Davos are expected to bring significant economic and developmental benefits to the state.
