Russian Firms Invited To Invest in AP’s Steel, Transport, Digital Infrastructure

Vijayawada: Education and IT minister Nara Lokesh continued his investment outreach in Russia on Thursday with industrial, investment and transport sector leaders, inviting investments in AP’s manufacturing, logistics, mobility and technology segments.

During a meeting with Ivan Demchenko, chairman of Russian metallurgical company Novostal-M, Lokesh urged the firm to establish an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel plant in AP for the manufacture of premium-grade rebars and wire rods.

He also proposed setting up a structural section and railway track rolling mill at Sri City, citing its railway connectivity and proximity to the Chennai-Bengaluru industrial corridor.

The minister sought investment in a galvanised hardware wire manufacturing unit catering to the automotive and shipbuilding sectors. He also proposed a joint venture for developing a raw-material logistics hub with dedicated waterfront berths and suggested collaboration in low-carbon steel production linked to renewable energy corridors.

Demchenko said Novostal-M produces 2.8 million tonnes of steel annually and exports to more than 60 countries. He said the company is exploring opportunities in India and would examine the proposals presented by the AP government.

Lokesh also met Tagir Sitdekov, president of Russian investment conglomerate Sistema, and proposed partnerships in electric river metro projects, green hydrogen and ammonia initiatives, satellite and ground-station facilities, autonomous maritime technologies, AI-powered coastal surveillance and smart EV charging networks.

He invited Sistema to participate in AP’s Quantum Valley initiative and explore cooperation in cybersecurity, biometric systems and AI-based urban governance solutions. Sitdekov said Sistema is already engaged in the digital ecosystem and SME financing initiatives in India and expressed interest in studying the proposals.

In another meeting, Lokesh held discussions with Moscow’s transport minister and deputy mayor Maksim Liksutov on technical cooperation for metro rail development, AI-based transit tracking systems, smart traffic management, electric bus fleets and integrated transport command centres.

The minister also proposed collaboration on digital freight corridors, multimodal logistics hubs and advanced cargo-tracking platforms to strengthen connectivity between ports and rail networks.

The meetings were part of the state government’s efforts to attract global investments and advanced technologies into AP’s infrastructure, manufacturing and digital economy sectors.