Andhra Pradesh aims to become India's “Saudi Arabia of green energy” by using its expanding solar, wind and pumped storage capacity to produce green molecules for domestic consumption and exports. Nara Lokesh, Minister for Electronics, IT, Communications, HRD and Real-Time Governance, Government of Andhra Pradesh, told NDTV Profit that the state is targeting two million jobs while building a renewable energy ecosystem.
Speaking on the sidelines of the CII 31st Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam, Lokesh said the state was looking to become a net exporter of green molecules by combining renewable energy generation with research, industry participation and skill development.
“We have solar, wind and pumped storage projects. We can take all this green energy and create green molecules that can then power our economy. We can actually become a net exporter of green molecules,” Lokesh said.
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Andhra Pradesh's Green Energy Roadmap
The state is developing a renewable energy ecosystem supported by research institutions and industry partnerships. An Energy Centre of Excellence at IIT Tirupati, funded by the private sector, is supporting research in the energy sector. Lokesh said he was also exploring collaborations with leading universities globally to strengthen research and education in emerging energy technologies.
Andhra Pradesh is following a cluster-based development model, with around 24-25 clusters focused on specific sectors. These include a Space City, a Drone City, a cement ecosystem, and a renewable energy ecosystem, backed by research, education, and skilling initiatives.
Two Million Jobs Target
Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh had attracted investments worth Rs 22 lakh crore over the past two and a half years. Around 73% of the projects have already been grounded, while 51% have entered the construction phase as well.
The state has created around five lakh jobs so far and expects investments to generate more than 17 lakh additional jobs as projects move towards commercial production by 2029.
“Our target continues to be the creation of two million jobs. The way I look at it is, how can I ensure that the industry becomes part of the entire skilling initiative? How can the industry help create the curriculum for higher education?” he said.
The government is looking to bring industry closer to educational institutions to align curricula with emerging sector requirements and address skill gaps.
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