Cabinet clears mega investments, quantum push and RE expansion

Metro India News | AMARAVATI :

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the State Secretariat on Thursday, approved a series of major policy decisions and investment proposals aimed at accelerating industrial growth, clean energy expansion, healthcare modernisation and infrastructure development across the state.

Addressing the media after the 1386th Cabinet meeting, State Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said the Cabinet cleared several high-value projects expected to generate thousands of jobs and strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s position as a manufacturing and technology hub.

Among the key decisions, the Cabinet approved the launch of the Andhra Pradesh SME Exchange (APSMEX) to improve equity funding access for MSMEs. A state-level task force will be constituted to prepare the framework and coordinate with regulatory agencies.

The Cabinet also approved multiple large-scale industrial investments recommended by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB). These include a Rs 3,149 crore solar cell and module manufacturing facility by Gridon Energy Private Limited at Orvakal Mega Industrial Hub in Kurnool district, generating around 320 jobs, and a Rs 6,100 crore Phase-IV expansion of Apollo Tyres Limited in Chittoor district expected to create 1,000 jobs.

A major highlight was approval for Reliance Industries Limited to establish a giga-scale AI Data Centre linked to a cable landing station in Visakhapatnam district with a proposed investment of Rs 1.08 lakh crore. The project is expected to generate around 1,000 direct jobs and large-scale indirect employment in IT and allied sectors.

The Cabinet also approved incentives for Royal Enfield to establish a greenfield motorcycle manufacturing plant in Tirupati district with an investment of Rs 2,508 crore and employment potential for 3,000 people.

In the renewable energy sector, approvals were granted for several solar, green hydrogen and compressed biogas projects under the AP Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024. These included Reliance’s massive 6,600 MW solar power project with battery energy storage systems in Sri Sathya Sai district and a green hydrogen and ammonia project by Yamnaco India Private Limited in Tirupati district.

The Cabinet further approved establishment of a dedicated R&D facility by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory within Amaravati Quantum Valley to strengthen India’s defence-related quantum computing capabilities.

In the healthcare sector, the government approved the statewide ‘104 Diagnostics Programme’ through 904 mobile medical units, enabling 41 diagnostic tests for nearly 50–60 lakh citizens annually. The Cabinet also cleared the ‘Sanjeevani’ integrated digital healthcare platform aimed at improving statewide healthcare delivery and digital medical coordination.

Another major approval was the Rs  1 lakh crore Integrated Horticulture Development Plan (IHDP) to transform Rayalaseema into a global horticulture hub by expanding production, irrigation and value-chain infrastructure.

The Cabinet additionally approved recruitment of 629 Assistant Executive Engineers across AP power utilities and sanctioned several irrigation, waste-to-energy and industrial infrastructure projects across multiple districts.