San Francisco, USA: Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh Courts Global Tech Investments, Deep Tech & Creative Economy in Focus

San Francisco, Dec 2025 : Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for IT, Electronics, and Human Resources, Nara Lokesh, held a series of high-level engagements with leading venture capital firms and technology companies in San Francisco to attract significant investments into the state, with a strong focus on deep tech, creative economy, and IT infrastructure.

During his visit, Lokesh urged international venture capital firm Celesta VC to set up a Deep Tech Innovation Hub in Andhra Pradesh. In a meeting with Managing Partner Arun Kumar, he emphasized Visakhapatnam’s rapid emergence as a premier IT and data hub, while inviting investments in cutting-edge areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computing. Lokesh also introduced a pioneering “escrow account” system designed to ensure direct and timely disbursal of incentives to industries. Arun Kumar stated that Celesta VC, which invests across the US, India, Israel, and Southeast Asia, would review the proposals and consider the opportunities in Andhra Pradesh.

A major focus of the discussions was the development of Amaravati as a global hub for the creative economy. Lokesh met with Sajan Raj Kurup, founder of Creative Land Asia, to accelerate the ‘Creator Land’ project. This transmedia city, part of a memorandum of understanding signed last year, is envisioned to feature AI-driven virtual studios, AR/VR theme parks, and immersive content creation spaces. Kurup confirmed that preparations are underway to commence the project within the next 24 months, with expected investments of up to ₹10,000 crore and potential creation of 1.5 lakh jobs.

Furthering Amaravati’s vision, Lokesh met Autodesk’s Chief Technologist, Dev Patel, proposing the establishment of a Global Capability Center and a Design & Innovation Academy in the capital. The minister highlighted the use of Autodesk’s BIM technology to create a “digital twin” of Amaravati and requested technical expertise for designing cyclone-resistant buildings in the state’s coastal areas. Patel assured that the proposals would be discussed with Autodesk’s senior leadership for potential collaboration.

Lokesh also engaged with Varma Kunapuli, CEO of IT operations management firm OpsRamp, to modernize IT infrastructure across Andhra Pradesh’s smart cities and digital governance initiatives. He proposed partnerships with the AP Tech Academy to develop AIOps-focused training programs and internship opportunities for students.

In addition, Nara Lokesh met the Consul General of India in San Francisco, Srikar Reddy, to seek support in facilitating US investments into Andhra Pradesh. He briefed the Consul General on the state’s investor-friendly policies, which have already attracted over ₹20 lakh crore in investments over the past 18 months. He highlighted emerging opportunities in sectors ranging from AI, quantum computing, and semiconductors to pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and creative industries.

Through this series of engagements, Andhra Pradesh aims to position itself as a global hub for innovation, technology, and creative industries, leveraging international expertise and investment to drive sustainable economic growth.