Andhra Pradesh, after bifurcation, is the ideal state for investments as it has a dynamic leadership, policies that are friendly to the industry. It is also endowed with natural resources and a long coast line, according to several leading industrialists.

They expressed the views at a session on Sunrise Andhra Pradesh organised here on Friday on the first day of the two-day partnership summit jointly organised by the Confederation of Industry and the AP Government.

G. Mallikarjuna Rao, the group chairman of the GMR group who hails from Srikakulam district, said that on all parameters including ease of doing business the State was ranking first and therefore there should be no hesitation in investing in the State. AP had also set up an economic development board to expedite decisions, he added.

His group, the majority stakeholder in the Kakinada special economic zone, was investing heavily in the State, he said. A greenfield port was being built in the Thondangi mandal of East Godavari district in the KSEZ area, 25 km away from Kakinada, with an initial capacity of 15 millon tonnes per annum.

A cracker unit was also planned in the KSEZ with an investment of Rs 35,000 crore and several companies, including Chinese ones, were evincing interest in the KSEZ, he added.

Tulsi Tanti, the Chairman of Suzlon Energy, who signed an agreement during the partnership summit held by the CII here last year for generating 4,000 MW of renewable energy in the State, spoke about the progress of the project. The agreement was for generating 3,000 MW of wind power and 1,000 MW of solar power.

He said Suzlon generates 600 MW from wind energy out of the facilities created for 1,000 MW in Anantapur district. As a part of the project, Suzlon had set up a rotor blade manufacturing unit in the district. He expressed confidence that the project would be completed successfully. He said his experience with the State administration was very good.

Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Essel group and Zee Group, said Essel group had signed a MoU with the AP Government for setting up an industrial park with an investment of $ 11 billion and "we have substantial progress with the project, thanks to the proactive approach of the State Government and we will finish the project." He said during the current partnership summit Essel Group had signed a MoU for a smart city project with the AP Government with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore. He said, "We could not find a better state than Andhra Pradesh for our investments."

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, thanking the industrialists for investing in the State, said his Government would take all steps to make it easy for them to invest and prosper along with the people of the state.

#sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

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