Amaravati: Minister for IT and HRD Nara Lokesh has called upon Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to become brand ambassadors of Andhra Pradesh and play an active role in rebuilding the State’s international reputation.

Addressing the Australian Telugu Diaspora Meet in Sydney on Sunday, Lokesh observed, “If NRIs speak about Andhra Pradesh, it carries greater credibility”, and urged them to contribute to the vision of transforming the state’s USD 180 billion economy into a USD 2.4 trillion one.

Lokesh highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s ambitious developmental roadmap, which includes turning Anantapur into an automotive hub, Kurnool and north Anantapur into renewable energy centers, and Chittoor and Kadapa into electronics manufacturing clusters.

He said the government was developing Prakasam as a Compressed Biogas (CBG) hub, Krishna and Guntur as a quantum computing valley and the twin Godavari districts as defence hubs. “We are transforming north Andhra into a steel and pharma hub, and developing Kurnool as a drone city,” he added.

The Minister said that over the past 16 months alone, investments worth Rs 10 lakh crore flowed into Andhra Pradesh, reflecting growing investor confidence. He listed projects like Google’s entry into the state facilitated with central support, and the revival of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Amaravati capital works, and the Polavaram project as signs of progress under Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s leadership.

Lokesh praised the collaborative spirit of the NDA government, mentioning his partnership with Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. “Even in families, small differences occur, but our vision for Andhra’s development remains united,” he said, reiterating that the alliance would steer the state’s growth for the next 15 years.

Lokesh urged NRIs to immediately inform the government about investment opportunities abroad, promising to personally help close such deals. “You are Andhra Pradesh’s global representatives, your voice can shape how the world sees our state,” he told the Diaspora, adding that the government was committed to supporting anyone investing Rs 50 crore or more while creating local jobs.

Lokesh thanked the Telugu Diaspora for their contributions to the NDA’s landslide win, noting that 94 per cent of the seats were secured with their active involvement. He concluded that Andhra Pradesh’s resurgence would be achieved not by one leader alone, but through collective efforts.