For once, India’s political discourse is witnessing a refreshing change—a clash not over caste, creed, or religion, but over investment and industrial growth. The recent exchange of words between Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Nara Lokesh over Google’s proposed $15-billion AI data centre in Visakhapatnam is a case in point. While it may look like a typical political spat, it reveals something deeper—a healthy spirit of competition between states eager to attract high-value investments. Google’s planned project, the company’s largest investment outside the United States, is an unprecedented development. Spread over a five-year period (2026-30), it aims to create more than a lakh jobs and transform Vizag into a major artificial intelligence and data hub. Karnataka, home to India’s tech capital Bengaluru, sees itself as the natural destination for such mega projects. That Andhra Pradesh managed to secure the deal has, therefore, stirred strong reactions from Bengaluru’s corridors of power. Kharge, known for his outspoken nature, wasted no time in attacking the Chandrababu Naidu government. He accused Andhra Pradesh of luring Google with “massive subsidies and unsustainable concessions” going so far as to describe the move as an “economic disaster in waiting.”

His comments implied that AP’s investment strategy was fiscally reckless—a populist move dressed up as economic reform. But his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Nara Lokesh chose not to respond with rancour. Instead, he hit back playfully on X: “They say Andhra food is spicy. Seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn! (sic)” The quip, accompanied by chilli and fire emojis, instantly went viral, turning a dry policy dispute into a moment of political theatre. Kharge responded again, defending Karnataka’s record as India’s technology powerhouse. But beyond the repartee, what stands out is not the acrimony but the nature of the rivalry. Here, two Indian politicians are competing on their ability to attract investment and create jobs—not on who can distribute more freebies, divide society more dangerously, or stir up old grievances. In a political culture long marred by populism and divisive rhetoric, such economic one-upmanship is a welcome shift. The fact that two major southern states, both IT leaders, are locked in a war of words over corporate investment shows that economic competition between states is alive and well. Healthy rivalry among states can push each to improve infrastructure, governance, and ease of doing business.

While Andhra Pradesh boasts of attracting Google, Karnataka may double down on nurturing startups or developing new tech clusters beyond Bengaluru. Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Maharashtra, too, will want to raise their game. This is precisely the kind of competitive federalism that India needs. Of course, there are caveats. Competition must not degenerate into a race to the pits, where states outbid each other with extravagant subsidies that erode their fiscal health. It is also important to recognise that the two states may be rivals when it comes to attracting investments, but they are not adversaries; on the contrary, they are partners in India’s collective tech journey. While Visakhapatnam may host the Google data centre, Bengaluru remains the nerve centre of software talent, Hyderabad a hub of AI research, and Chennai a leader in hardware and electronics. Together, they form the backbone of India’s aspiration to become a global technology superpower.