Nara Lokesh Showcases Andhra Pradesh’s Tech Vision in High-Level Meetings with Global Giants

San Francisco, Dec 2025 : Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for IT and Education, Nara Lokesh, wrapped up a series of high-powered meetings in the United States, engaging with top executives from Google, Adobe, Nvidia, and Intel as part of a strategic push to attract major foreign investment to the state. The visit underscored Andhra Pradesh’s ambition to emerge as a global destination for advanced technology, manufacturing, and AI-driven innovation.

In a key meeting in San Francisco, Lokesh met Google CEO Sundar Pichai to review progress on the company’s proposed $15 billion AI data center in Visakhapatnam. Calling it Google’s largest foreign direct investment outside the U.S., Lokesh thanked the leadership for its confidence in Andhra Pradesh. The meeting, also attended by Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian, saw Lokesh propose the establishment of a drone assembly and testing facility in the state’s upcoming Drone City. Pichai assured him that Google would evaluate the proposal internally.

Engagements continued with Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, where Lokesh urged Adobe to set up a Global Capability Center or development hub in Visakhapatnam. Using Narayen’s global influence, Lokesh also pitched investment opportunities to Pfizer and KKR—suggesting a Pfizer manufacturing unit in the Visakhapatnam pharma zone and exploring KKR’s potential role in strengthening Andhra Pradesh’s healthcare infrastructure. Narayen responded positively, promising to discuss the proposals further with his peers.

In Santa Clara, Lokesh held discussions with Nvidia and Intel leadership. During his meeting with Raj Mirpuri, Nvidia’s Vice President for Enterprise and Cloud Sales, Lokesh sought collaboration on AI skill development and a pilot “Smart Factory” initiative powered by Nvidia technologies. He also requested support for encouraging Nvidia’s manufacturing partners to explore investments in Andhra Pradesh and for linking deep-tech startups from the state to Nvidia’s India-focused funding ecosystem.

At Intel’s global headquarters, Lokesh met IT CTO Sesha Krishnapura. He proposed setting up an Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) facility in the state, highlighting the strategic advantages of the Visakhapatnam–Chennai Industrial Corridor. Lokesh also suggested establishing an “Intel–Amaravati AI Research Center” in partnership with a premier local institution to foster cutting-edge research and innovation.

Across all meetings, the corporate leaders assured Lokesh that Andhra Pradesh’s proposals would be taken up for detailed internal evaluation. The series of engagements marked an important step forward in the state’s efforts to position itself as a leading global hub for technology, manufacturing, and AI-driven growth.

Team Maverick.