Describing the GMR–MANSAS Aviation Educity as a project that will set global benchmarks, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education and IT Nara Lokesh on Tuesday said what is unfolding in the State today is nothing short of history in the making. Speaking at the foundation ceremony of the ambitious Aviation Educity project, the Minister asserted that the coalition government is working with a clear vision to transform Andhra Pradesh into a hub of global talent and industrial ecosystems.

The GMR–MANSAS Aviation Educity project, proposed to be developed by the GMR Group with the support of the MANSAS Trust, will come up on 136.63 acres at Annavaram village in Bhimili mandal near Bhogapuram. The formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between GMR and MANSAS was signed in the presence of Minister Nara Lokesh and Union Minister of Civil Aviation K. Rammohan Naidu, at a programme held at a Radisson Blu Resort in Visakhapatnam.

Addressing the gathering, Lokesh said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has set an ambitious goal of ensuring that at least 25 per cent of the global civil aviation workforce comprises Telugu youth. “That vision is now taking shape through world-class institutions like the Aviation Educity,” he said, adding that Andhra Pradesh is steadily positioning itself as a talent powerhouse in advanced sectors.

Recalling his interaction with national leaders, Lokesh remarked that Andhra Pradesh’s recent progress has drawn attention across the country. “Some call it magic. I call it a combination of ‘GPS’, our senior leaders who provide guidance, and ‘missiles’, where young, dynamic leaders execute with speed,” he said, underlining the role of experience and youthful energy in governance.

The Minister paid rich tributes to GMR Group founder G.M. Rao, describing him as the pride of North Andhra. He traced Rao’s journey from a modest middle-class background to becoming a global industrialist, citing the Hyderabad International Airport as a testimony to vision-driven infrastructure. “Projects that were once mocked for their scale today contribute significantly to economic growth,” he noted.

Lokesh also lauded the MANSAS Trust and the Pusapati family for their unprecedented gesture of providing land free of cost for the project. He expressed special gratitude to Goa Governor and MANSAS Trust Chairman P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Vizianagaram MLA Aditi Gajapathi Raju for their commitment to public welfare. “Such generosity is rare and will be remembered for generations,” he said.

Stressing the government’s cluster-based development model, Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh is integrating education with industry to create job-ready youth. He reiterated the government’s target of creating 20 lakh jobs over five years and said the Aviation Educity would be developed within 12 months, emerging as a globally competitive institution surpassing even the best-known national models.

The event was attended by several dignitaries, AP Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyannapatrudu, GMR Airports Chairman GBS Raju, Bhimili MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao, and other senior leaders, marking a significant milestone in Andhra Pradesh’s aviation and education landscape.