A New Direction for Development with P4 - Nara Lokesh

Andhra Pradesh IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh said stable governance, faster decision-making and employment generation are essential for eliminating poverty and achieving sustainable development. Speaking at a fireside chat organised by the Public Affairs Forum of India in New Delhi, he said “speed of doing business” has become a culture in Andhra Pradesh. He highlighted the government’s focus on speeding up file clearances, attracting investments and taking projects from announcements to the grounding stage.

Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh is developing 23 specialised clusters covering sectors such as space, drones, cement, steel, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, AI, data centres, horticulture and aquaculture. He cited projects involving companies such as Skyroot and ArcelorMittal as examples of the state’s cluster-based approach. He said the government is focusing on project execution rather than merely signing MoUs and has set an 80% project grounding target. According to Lokesh, the state aims to become a $2.4 trillion economy by 2047.

He also explained the P4 model, which adds people as a fourth partner to the traditional public private partnership approach. Lokesh said the objective is to ensure that economically weaker sections also benefit from development. Citing an example from Kuppam, he said a woman who previously worked in a brick kiln is now running her own unit and providing employment to 20 people. He said the transformation involved an investment of ₹60,000 along with guidance on bookkeeping, identifying markets, sales and marketing.

Lokesh further said emerging sectors such as quantum technology are important, but traditional and agriculture-linked sectors such as horticulture and aquaculture are equally significant. He said the state plans to launch a horticulture mission on October 2 and is looking to attract major investments into the sector. He also highlighted industry participation in schools, curriculum development and practical skill training. Lokesh said job creation remains the government’s primary agenda and expressed confidence that sustained and stable governance can help Andhra Pradesh reduce poverty over the coming years.