CM Naidu Meets Japanese Ambassador, Seeks Cooperation For Skill Development Among Youth

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the Andhra Pradesh government was implementing a transparent incentive policy to promote industrial investments in the State. He stated that an escrow account mechanism had been introduced to ensure timely delivery of industrial incentives and implementing Speed of Doing Business initiative.

During a meeting with Japanese Ambassador Keiichi Ono in Visakhapatnam, the Chief Minister discussed industrial investments, skill development, critical minerals, steel industry, green energy and other areas of mutual cooperation.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the State was according high priority to skill development. Andhra Pradesh has a large youth population and by providing them with industry-oriented skill training, they could be transformed into a highly skilled workforce, he said. He sought the cooperation of Japanese companies in this direction.

The Japanese representatives expressed their willingness to provide skill development training to employees working in industries across the State.

The Japanese representatives raised the issue of ensuring a steady supply of rare earth minerals to Japan. They said such cooperation would help further strengthen the India-Japan partnership in the supply of critical minerals.They also sought support for the uninterrupted import of semi-finished steel products from the parent company in Japan, required for the final-stage processing at the ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India plant.

Meanwhile, representatives informed the Chief Minister that Proterial India was planning to manufacture amorphous metal in India for the first time. The material is used in the production of high-capacity transformers. With the industrial incentives offered by the State government, the company has drawn up plans to commence production at Sri City in December 2026.

The Japanese representatives informed the Chief Minister that a new Global Capability Centre (GCC) will be established in Visakhapatnam this year through India-Japan cooperation, leveraging the talent of Indian professionals. The representatives also revealed that Japan-based JERA had entered into a preliminary agreement with AM Green to procure around 70,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually from Kakinada for a period of five years.They described the agreement as a significant step towards establishing a green ammonia supply chain between India and Japan.