AP to Be Logistics Capital on East Coast: CM

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has outlined a vision to transform the state into the nation’s premier logistics hub on the East Coast and announced massive infrastructure development plans to also position Visakhapatnam as a future technology centre.

Naidu was speaking at the East Coast Maritime Logistics Summit here on Tuesday.

Addressing maritime industry leaders and logistics experts, he said Visakhapatnam remained as "the safest city for women" and it would soon evolve into a major technology hub with data centres. This would be done "in a big way, more than in the world in the future."

The CM said submarine cables from Singapore would link the city to it, establishing crucial international digital connectivity.

The state government has identified port development plans with Naidu stating, “Andhra Pradesh currently operates six ports and it plans to construct four additional ports by 2046. Our idea is to have a port every 50km in the state."

Naidu stressed the strategic advantage of having the only 18-metre-deep port on the East Coast outside of existing facilities. He said AP ranks second nationally in sea cargo handling and it benefits from three major industrial corridors.

The state, he said, plans to leverage its 1,500km of inland waterways, including restoration of the historic Buckingham Canal transport system between Kakinada and Chennai. The aviation sector would see expansion with additional international airports planned alongside the upcoming Bhogapuram airport.

The Chief Minister said GMR Group would establish an aviation university, while air cargo facilities are planned across multiple locations.

Additionally, he explained the plans for development of Quantum Valley in Amaravati, marking the state's entry into cutting-edge quantum computing. Additionally, a drone city has been established in Kurnool, with plans to deploy drones across port operations, agriculture, and healthcare sectors, he said.

Naidu said, “The state is moving towards establishing green shipping corridors and implementing digital logistics platforms using IoT, AI and blockchain technologies for real-time cargo tracking and predictive maintenance. He noted that 35 per cent of Indians working in IT globally were Telugus.

Addressing the financing challenges, he spoke of a shift from traditional PPP models to gap funding approaches. "If we get a good partner, AP is willing to join you as a consortium or partner," Naidu told potential investors, promising them transparent and swift policy implementation.

The CM announced plans for biannual meetings with industry stakeholders to ensure continuous interactions and policy refinement.

He inaugurated the AP chapter of the Air Cargo Forum of India and visited the stalls from six maritime startups at the summit, including Blurgs AI, Docker Vision, Oltio Maritime, Automaxis, Easylane and Aim Locate.