IT and Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on Monday and briefed him on the investments attracted by Andhra Pradesh over the past two years, with a focus on the government’s emphasis on speed of doing business. He also outlined the reforms undertaken in the education sector and the State’s skill development initiatives.

Mr. Lokesh sought details of the best practices and successful policies being implemented by the Maharashtra government in the information technology and education sectors.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Lokesh interacted with Robin Khuda, Chief Executive Officer of AirTrunk, a leading hyperscale data centre operator with facilities across the world. He said Visakhapatnam was fast emerging as a hub for artificial intelligence and hyperscale data centres, with projects such as the Google AI Hub, Reliance AI Data Centre and AdaniConneX currently under development.

Stating that the government aims to create 6 GW of data centre capacity in the port city, Mr. Lokesh invited AirTrunk to consider establishing one of its future campuses in Visakhapatnam. He highlighted the city’s business-friendly ecosystem, strategic location and logistical advantages. Mr. Khuda assured him that the company would examine the proposals put forward by the Andhra Pradesh government.

Later, Mr. Lokesh participated in the 2026 India Conference organised by Bank of America titled “New Frontiers of Growth”.

During a fireside chat on the theme “Future Readying India – The Andhra Experience”, moderated by Vikram Sahu, Mr. Lokesh answered questions on Andhra Pradesh’s growth strategy, investment promotion initiatives and development agenda. He highlighted the progress achieved by the State with the support of the Central government and outlined major infrastructure and economic development projects currently under way.