Naidu’s Hard Sell
In the US, the Andhra CM makes a successful pitch for his dream capital
Andhra Pradesh is ready to take off. We will create all the necessary conditions.” Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s steady spiel over a weeklong visit to woo investors, including Telugu expatriates, in the United States seems to have worked like a charm.
Unfazed that his nascent state lacks a single metropolitan centre, Naidu presented Andhra
Pradesh as an opportunity—a “sunrise
(state) on a transformational journey” with the goal of “promoting inclusive economic growth with happiness”. He also made an emotional pitch to Telugu residents in the US while inviting them to partner in developing the new state capital, Amaravati, as one of the five best cities in the world.
“Building a capital is both a challenge and opportunity for me,” Naidu told them. “If you are part of the development plans for sustainable growth in the next 15 years, we can eliminate poverty in the state.” He wanted investors to help create a new ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh, as it presents a rare opportunity to build systems from scratch. With Amaravati as the centre, he spoke of developing manufacturing, information technology and other sectoral hubs in
each of the 13 districts.
By the time his seven days in the US came to an end on May 11, Naidu had 50 top North American corporates, including IT major such as Apple, Cisco, Dell and Google, looking at the state with new interest. In fact, Cisco executive chairman John Chambers, a long-time admirer of Naidu, arranged an interaction with 30 CEOs at his home. CM Naidu also invited Stanford University
(incidentally his sin Nara Lokesh and daughter-in-law Brahmani's alma mater)) to be a 'knowledge partner' in the new Andhra Pradesh. Later, the US-India Business Council (USIBC) felicitated him with the 'Transformative Chief Minister' award in recognition of his role in advancing US-Indian partnership the state level.
Many of the CEOs and others Naidu met have been invited back to Andhra Pradesh as 'state guests' for a first-hand appraisal of what the state can offer. Among those expected to visit is Raja Krishnamoorthi, the first US Congressman of South Indian origin. Tellingly, Naidu's 16-member delegation uncluded just one other politician, finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu. Others included advisors and civil servants responsible for infrastructure, IT and economic development.
AMARAVATI WAS PITCHED AS A GRAND OPPORTUNITY BY NAIDU TO TELUGU EXPATS IN THE US