Nara Lokesh Courts OpenAI, AMD in Major US Investment Push
San Francisco: In a significant push to position Andhra Pradesh as a premier global technology and manufacturing destination, the state's Minister for IT, Electronics, Human Resources Development, Nara Lokesh, held a series of high-level meetings with top executives from industry giants including OpenAI, AMD, Salesforce, and Zscaler.
During his ongoing tour of the United States, Nara Lokesh presented a comprehensive vision for attracting investment across artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and green energy sectors.
A key focus of the discussions was the development of Visakhapatnam into a "Data City." In a meeting with OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer, Srinivas Narayanan, Nara Lokesh proposed a collaboration to establish a dedicated AI University in Andhra Pradesh. He also suggested that OpenAI could select the state for its data center operations and partner in providing free ChatGPT access to students, aligning with the government's goal of fostering an "AI-based member in every family."
To secure this burgeoning digital ecosystem, Lokesh urged Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry to establish a cybersecurity R&D and development center in Visakhapatnam. He also invited Salesforce, during a meeting with Executive Vice President Ramesh Ragineedi, to set up a Global Capability Center in the city, highlighting recent investments from Google and Reliance.
Beyond software and data, the minister underscored Andhra Pradesh's ambitions in advanced manufacturing. He met with AMD's Senior Vice President for AI, Vamsi Boppana, proposing that the semiconductor giant set up an assembly, testing, and packaging unit in one of the state's electronics manufacturing clusters, such as Sri City or Kopparthi, supported by the state’s new Electronics & Semiconductor Policy.
The proposals also extended to futuristic and creative technologies for the state's capital, Amaravati. Nara Lokesh invited Rigetti Computing to establish a research wing in the planned "Quantum Valley" and asked design platform Canva to partner on the "Creator Land" project.
In the green energy sector, a proposal was made to Ohmium, a leading electrolyzer manufacturer, to set up a production facility in an industrial zone like Krishnapatnam to support green hydrogen production.
Executives from all the companies acknowledged the proposals and stated they would review them with their senior leadership teams. The meetings mark a concerted effort by the Andhra Pradesh government to attract cutting-edge technology and strategic investments to fuel its economic growth.
During his ongoing tour of the United States, Nara Lokesh presented a comprehensive vision for attracting investment across artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and green energy sectors.
A key focus of the discussions was the development of Visakhapatnam into a "Data City." In a meeting with OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer, Srinivas Narayanan, Nara Lokesh proposed a collaboration to establish a dedicated AI University in Andhra Pradesh. He also suggested that OpenAI could select the state for its data center operations and partner in providing free ChatGPT access to students, aligning with the government's goal of fostering an "AI-based member in every family."
To secure this burgeoning digital ecosystem, Lokesh urged Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry to establish a cybersecurity R&D and development center in Visakhapatnam. He also invited Salesforce, during a meeting with Executive Vice President Ramesh Ragineedi, to set up a Global Capability Center in the city, highlighting recent investments from Google and Reliance.
Beyond software and data, the minister underscored Andhra Pradesh's ambitions in advanced manufacturing. He met with AMD's Senior Vice President for AI, Vamsi Boppana, proposing that the semiconductor giant set up an assembly, testing, and packaging unit in one of the state's electronics manufacturing clusters, such as Sri City or Kopparthi, supported by the state’s new Electronics & Semiconductor Policy.
The proposals also extended to futuristic and creative technologies for the state's capital, Amaravati. Nara Lokesh invited Rigetti Computing to establish a research wing in the planned "Quantum Valley" and asked design platform Canva to partner on the "Creator Land" project.
In the green energy sector, a proposal was made to Ohmium, a leading electrolyzer manufacturer, to set up a production facility in an industrial zone like Krishnapatnam to support green hydrogen production.
Executives from all the companies acknowledged the proposals and stated they would review them with their senior leadership teams. The meetings mark a concerted effort by the Andhra Pradesh government to attract cutting-edge technology and strategic investments to fuel its economic growth.