AP Courts Russian Investment Across Railways, Smart Cities, Nuclear Energy and Aluminium Sectors
Lokesh reiterated the state's ambition to develop Amaravati into one of the world's finest cities.
Vijayawada:Education and IT Minister, Nara Lokesh, intensified his efforts to attract global investments on the fourth day of his Russia tour, holding a series of high-level meetings in St Petersburg with leading Russian corporations and government officials.
The discussions focused on railway manufacturing, smart city management, clean energy, advanced materials and industrial infrastructure.
In a meeting with executives of Transmashholding JSC, one of the world's largest rolling stock manufacturers, Lokesh invited the company to establish a major railway components assembly plant adjacent to the Alstom metro rolling stock facility at Sri City in Tirupati district. He also proposed setting up a high-capacity freight locomotive and railway coach manufacturing hub to serve large industrial rail projects across South Asia.
The minister also sought collaboration in smart signalling systems, traffic-control research centres, rolling stock overhaul facilities and export-oriented rail infrastructure at Andhra Pradesh ports.
Transmash holding representatives said the company's Indian joint venture, Kinet Railway Solutions, is implementing a $6.5-billion contract to supply 120 Vande Bharat sleeper trains and assured Lokesh that AP's proposals would be examined.
Lokesh also met Polina Polukhina, chief expert in the regional foreign affairs department of the St Petersburg government, to discuss data-driven urban governance, citizen engagement, digital education and reliable civic infrastructure.
The two sides agreed to establish a joint working group between AP and St Petersburg to share best practices in safe and smart city management. Lokesh reiterated the state's ambition to develop Amaravati into one of the world's finest cities.
In another engagement, the minister held talks with senior officials of Rosatom, proposing the establishment of next-generation Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) on AP’s coastline to provide round-the-clock clean power to industrial zones. He also suggested setting up nuclear medicine and food irradiation centres, nuclear desalination plants in mega industrial parks and manufacturing units for nuclear-grade alloys and carbon-fibre composites catering to India's aerospace and defence sectors.
Rosatom officials highlighted the company's ongoing cooperation with India's nuclear programme, including its role in the Kudankulam nuclear power plant through advanced VVER-1000 reactors, fuel supply and engineering support. They also expressed willingness to study the state's proposals.
Nara Lokesh later met senior management of RUSAL, seeking investments in a low-carbon green aluminium smelter, extrusion facilities, a coastal aluminium refinery, a bauxite import hub and a high-value automotive and aerospace alloy plant along the Visakhapatnam-Chennai industrial corridor.
He also proposed an eco-friendly aluminium foil manufacturing unit to cater to South Asia's rapidly growing food processing and FMCG sectors.
RUSAL executives noted that the company had acquired a 26 per cent stake in Andhra Pradesh-based Pioneer Aluminium in March 2025 and outlined its growing role in supplying premium aluminium alloys to India's automotive, aerospace and power sectors.
The company said it would evaluate the investment proposals put forward by the state government.
