Andhra Pradesh Will Be Gateway of East Coast With Best Logistics Hub: CM Chandrababu Naidu

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said Andhra Pradesh will soon emerge as the gateway of the East Coast with a world-class logistics hub, while Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh inaugurated major industrial units at the Kopparthi Industrial Hub in Kadapa district. 

Addressing the East Coast and Logistics Summit in Visakhapatnam, organised by the Global Forum for Sustainable Transformation (GFST) and Maritime Gateway, the Chief Minister said the logistics sector is vital for economic growth and job creation. He announced plans to set up a logistics university and a civil aviation university in the state. He also urged leaders of the shipping industry to form a 20-member advisory body to support Andhra Pradesh’s development as a global logistics hub.

Naidu said logistics currently contributes one percent to the Gross State Domestic Product and stressed the need to raise it to three percent. With six ports in operation and four more in development, Andhra Pradesh is positioned as a leading hub for sea cargo transport. “Neighbouring states like Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and parts of Karnataka are depending on our ports,” he said, adding that the government aims to establish ports or fishing harbours every 50 kilometers along the state’s 1,050-km coastline.

He outlined plans to encourage shipbuilding, container repair, and ship recycling at ports such as Dugarajupatnam and Machilipatnam, while also providing facilities for defence vessel maintenance. He emphasized the need for digital logistics platforms, cargo tracking, and improved rail, road, and air connectivity. Naidu pointed out that India’s logistics cost is 13 percent compared to 8 percent in other countries, and called for reducing costs by integrating ports with industrial units, following the models of Dubai and Singapore.

The Chief Minister said inland water transport will also be revived to bring down costs, citing Buckingham Canal as a route that once connected Kakinada and Chennai. He assured that the state would work with the Centre to address industry concerns. “Andhra Pradesh is the only state providing water security and working towards river interlinking,” he said. “Visakhapatnam, which is the safest city for women, will also grow into a major technology hub with a new data centre.”

Earlier, the Chief Minister joined a roundtable with CEOs from the shipping and logistics sectors, released two books, and launched the Air Cargo Forum of India’s Andhra Pradesh chapter.

In Kadapa district, Minister Nara Lokesh inaugurated Technodome’s LED TV manufacturing plant and Texana’s new garment unit at the Kopparthi Industrial Hub. Technodome, part of a Dubai-based group, has invested Rs.121 crore to set up the electronics unit, expected to employ 300 people and manufacture 10 lakh TVs and 10 lakh LED monitors annually, with expansion plans for refrigerators, air conditioners, and appliances.

Texana, a subsidiary of Mumbai-based Texport India, has invested Rs.50 crore in its new unit, which will provide jobs to 2,100 workers, largely women. Texport already operates 19 units across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, producing more than 1.7 crore garments a year.

Lokesh also inaugurated the Executive Centre building at the Kopparthi cluster, constructed at a cost of Rs.31.5 crore on 6.3 acres. The facility includes co-working spaces, a business centre, APIIC offices, a convention hall, and recreational amenities such as tennis and badminton courts.