Lokesh woos Russian investors

Seeks partnerships in space, AI and river metro projects

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh IT, Electronics and Education Minister Nara Lokesh continued his investment outreach in Russia on the third day of his tour, pitching the state as a destination for advanced technology, space, clean energy and digital infrastructure projects.

During a meeting with Tagir Sitdekov, President of Russian conglomerate Sistema, Lokesh invited the company to explore investments in Andhra Pradesh across emerging sectors. He proposed launching pilot electric river metro projects on India’s inland waterways, establishing assembly facilities at major ports, developing green hydrogen and green ammonia projects, and setting up a joint small satellite and ground station facility near India’s space infrastructure hubs.

Lokesh also sought collaboration in autonomous shipyard technologies, AI-powered coastal surveillance systems, smart EV charging networks, advanced cybersecurity solutions and quantum computing initiatives under Andhra Pradesh’s ambitious Quantum Valley framework. He highlighted opportunities in smart urban governance, digital public infrastructure and sustainable manufacturing.

Responding positively, Sitdekov said Sistema already has a presence in India through technology-enabled investment platforms, SME financing and digital ecosystem services. He noted that the company actively supports startups in fintech, health-tech and artificial intelligence and promised to evaluate Andhra Pradesh’s proposals.

Earlier, addressing the Russia-India Business Forum at the prestigious St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Lokesh underlined the historic partnership between India and Russia and called for deeper economic cooperation.

He said Andhra Pradesh aims to become a $2.5 trillion economy by 2047 under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Highlighting the state’s 1,053-km coastline, six ports, industrial land banks, reliable power supply and investor-friendly policies, Lokesh invited Russian companies to participate in sectors such as aerospace, semiconductors, electronics, logistics, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

A major focus of his presentation was Andhra Pradesh’s emerging space ecosystem. He showcased the state’s Space Policy 4.0, the proposed Tirupati Space City, and opportunities for collaboration with Russian space and technology firms. Lokesh emphasized that Andhra Pradesh is not merely seeking investors but long-term strategic partners capable of building globally competitive industries and innovation ecosystems.

Andhra can contribute to USD 100 billion India-Russia trade target: IT Minister

Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Thursday said the state could play a key role in contributing to the USD 100 billion bilateral trade target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin by 2030.

Addressing the India-Russia Business Forum on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the minister highlighted opportunities for deeper economic cooperation between Andhra Pradesh and Russian businesses.

Lokesh noted that Russia had stood with India during key phases of its development journey, citing collaborations ranging from Bhilai and Kudankulam to BrahMos and Gaganyaan.

He pointed to Russian aluminium producer RUSAL’s Pioneer Alumina Project and Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy as illustrations of successful industrial collaboration between the two countries.

He highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s infrastructure strengths, including a coastline of more than 1,000 kilometres, six operational ports, industrial land availability, reliable power infrastructure and investor-friendly governance.