Amaravati: IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh intensified his US outreach, holding a series of meetings this week in San Francisco with global venture capital firms, technology majors, and creative industry leaders to attract investments in semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, digital governance, and transmedia innovation.

During his interaction with Arun Kumar, managing partner of Celesta VC, Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh now offered a completely favourable environment for high-tech investments, with Visakhapatnam emerging rapidly as an IT and data hub. He urged Celesta to set up a Deep Tech Innovation Hub in AP, invest in semiconductor, AI and quantum technologies, and partner with the state in expanding innovation ecosystem. Lokesh highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s plan to introduce India’s first escrow-based incentive disbursal system to ensure timely payments to industries.

Arun Kumar said Celesta was currently focused on the US, India, Israel, and Southeast Asia, while prioritising deep-tech sectors including semiconductors, AI/ML, robotics, quantum computing, cybersecurity, SaaS, cloud infrastructure. and globally scalable startups. He said the firm would evaluate AP’s proposals.

Besides, Lokesh met Creative Land Asia founder Sajan Raj Kurup and American film director-screenwriter Chick Russell. He said the state aimed to build a global hub for creative economy, tourism, and digital innovation, with plans for AI-based virtual studios, AR, VR theme parks and world-class co-production facilities in Amaravati, envisioned as the next-generation transmedia city.

Sajan Raj Kurup said Creative Land will deploy a blockchain-based framework for AI art, VR, AR and creative technologies, and train local youth in VFX, AI, gaming and animation through Creator Land Academy. The company, which signed an MoU with AP last year to build India’s first transmedia entertainment city in Amaravati, expects construction to begin within 24 months, making up to Rs 10,000 crore investment and creating 1.5 lakh jobs.

In a meeting with OpsRamp CEO Verma Kunapuneni, Lokesh sought support for modernising AP’s IT infrastructure for smart cities, digital governance as well as electronics clusters and proposed collaboration with AP Tech Academia for AI Ops training and research and development.

Verma said OpsRamp, serving over 500 global organizations, including Fortune 500 clients, would consider the proposals.

Lokesh's discussions with AutoDesk chief technologist Dev Patel and senior director Allison Ross focused on establishing an Autodesk Global Capability Center in Amaravati and supporting the capital’s design through BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology and digital twin development. He sought support for cyclone-resilient infrastructure and proposed an Autodesk Design & Innovation Academy for advanced training.

Patel said Autodesk, with operations in 35 countries and a USD 50-billion market cap, would examine AP’s proposals.

During a courtesy call, Consul General Shrikar Reddy was briefed on AP’s rapid growth, Rs 20-lakh-crore investments secured in 18 months and plans to set up a Quantum Valley in Amaravati. Lokesh said Visakhapatnam was emerging as a major data hub with the arrival of marquee firms like Google.

Lokesh met Salesforce executive vice president Ramesh Ragineni, urging the company to set up a GCC and R&D center in Visakhapatnam.

Ragineni, whose company records USD 34.5-billion annual revenue and a USD 250-billion market cap, said Salesforce would evaluate AP’s proposals.