‘Speed, not ease’: Andhra's Industry minister pitches an investment model that can win India’s jobs race

For long, India has eyed state-driven economic growth that accelerates job creation to meet the growing demand of a rising population. Andhra Pradesh is attempting an ambitious economic reset—one that hinges not just on attracting investment but also on executing it faster than any competing state. “Our primary focus is to create twenty lakh job opportunities before the elections,” the state’s Industry and Commerce Minister, TG Bharath, told Firstpost, pitching job creation as the single most important metric driving policy, investment outreach, and industrial planning.

Bharath emphasised that the roadmap is not dependent on a single lever but a dual-track approach—government hiring through structured job calendars and large-scale private sector investments that can generate employment at scale. “The government can create some jobs…but the real opportunity is when private industry comes in and sets up,” he said, underlining that industrialisation and investment are central to delivering on the jobs promise.

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Vizag Vision: ‘It’s a baby now, like Hyderabad in the 1990s.'

Visakhapatnam plays a significant role in shaping the future of Andhra Pradesh.

The minister said, "Vizag is currently in its infancy, experiencing growth similar to that of Hyderabad in the 1990s," drawing a comparison with a city that later evolved into a global IT hub.

The challenge, however, is structural. Established ecosystems like Bengaluru and Hyderabad already dominate talent and capital flows. “To get IT guys from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu… it’s not so easy,” he said, explaining why Andhra is willing to adopt aggressive strategies to attract companies.

That includes offering land incentives and policy support—moves that have drawn criticism but are central to the state’s playbook. If you have the land and keep it, what is the purpose? You have to make it useful for the public,” he said. He pointed to precedent to justify the approach.

“If you remember Tata Nano, the Gujarat government landed it for 1 rupee… someone has already done it,” he added, signalling that such incentive-led competition is not new.

At the same time, he stressed that these benefits are selective. “It is only for the top… companies… He clarified that the policy targets high-impact investors, specifically the top five hundred companies.

Google moment: ‘Once it comes, everybody knows Andhra’

The proposed Google data centre investment in Vizag is being viewed internally as a turning point. “If Google comes… everybody knows Andhra Pradesh… everybody knows Vizag,” the minister said, highlighting the branding effect such an investment has.

The expectation is that the project will trigger a broader ecosystem. “Reliance is showing interest… many companies are also showing interest in coming and setting up data centers," he said, pointing to early signs of a clustering effect.

He also highlighted the state's substantial investment pipeline. “Right now, we have cleared almost nine lakh crores plus investments from the cabinet," the minister said, adding that another Rs 2 lakh crore is in various stages of partnership and discussion. He pushed back strongly against scepticism around MoUs.

“These are not just for the sake of announcing and building a propaganda… these are real,” he said. The focus, he stressed repeatedly, is now on grounding these investments and translating them into jobs.

ArcelorMittal Deal

The ArcelorMittal investment stands out as a defining example of Andhra Pradesh’s approach—persistence, timing, and continuity. “For sure, ArcelorMittal… Lokesh Garu and Aditya Mittal met in 2019 in Davos,” the minister said, recalling the first engagement.

At that time, the opportunity did not materialise. “They were exploring setting up a steel plant in south Odisha or somewhere… but at that time they did not show much interest,” he said, adding that the state also lost power soon after. What followed years later was a decisive moment. “The minute we came back to power, there was a Zoom call… that’s the best part,” he said. The difference, he emphasised, was not a new pitch—but memory and follow-through.

That recall led to a focused engagement. “Lokesh Garu discussed with him for 30–45 minutes… and had a breakthrough in September 2024,” he said.

From there, the project moved swiftly. “Then obviously we had discussions… they gave the DPR… and in January 2025, it was taken forward,” he said, outlining the transition from conversation to approval. The scale of the project is transformative. Rs 1.35 lakh crore… It's going to be a steel city.

“The whole dynamics of three districts will change completely,” he added, pointing to employment generation, ancillary industries, and regional development.

The project is already attracting additional interest. “There is already another steel plant… “Showing interest in coming to that location,” he said, suggesting that the initial investment is creating a multiplier effect.

Speed as strategy: ‘What matters is speed of doing business.'

If incentives are one pillar, speed is the other. “Ease of doing business… everyone is talking about, but what really matters is speed of doing business,” the minister said, drawing a distinction between policy frameworks and actual execution.

“The process, approvals… business loves that,” he added, emphasising that investors value timelines more than rankings. To deliver these results, the state has built an always-on administrative system.

“We have 90 groups… He described a structure where he, the secretary, and officials track and resolve issues in real time. “We try to solve it as soon as possible… immediately,” he added, highlighting the shift from bureaucratic delay to responsiveness.

Andhra Pradesh is also looking outward for inspiration. “I love Japan… the cluster-based parks,” the minister said, indicating that the state is adopting a similar model of industrial clustering. Alongside industrial growth, the state is pushing ahead with Amaravati as a greenfield capital.

“This is a greenfield city… all the best practices… are being brought in,” he said. “We want to make it one of the best livable cities in the world."

Jobs target: ‘It can go beyond 20 lakh.'

Ultimately, the government is tying all of these initiatives back to employment. “If all this gets grounded… The minister expressed confidence that the target could exceed twenty lakh jobs. Andhra Pradesh is not just competing on incentives—it is trying to compete on execution speed, investor engagement, and strategic continuity.

The bet is clear: if speed delivers where promises often fail, the state could reshape its economic trajectory. The risk is equally clear—execution will decide whether ambition translates into reality.