Wed Sep 17 07:50:08 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text and other article listings:

**Andhra Pradesh Courts Global Investors, Declares Itself a ‘Start-up State’**

**London/Vijayawada – September 17, 2025** – Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) is aggressively pursuing foreign investment, positioning itself as a “start-up State” open for business. IT & HRD Minister Nara Lokesh made the declaration at the Andhra Pradesh-United Kingdom Business Forum in London on Tuesday night, emphasizing the State’s commitment to “Speed-of-Doing Business (SoDB).”

Speaking at a Q&A session anchored by Tech Mahindra President (European Business) Harshul Asnani, Minister Lokesh boasted that A.P. had attracted $120 billion in investments over the past 15 months. He highlighted the ArcelorMittal-Nippon Steel plant in Anakapalli district and the impending arrival of tech giants like Google and TCS in Visakhapatnam as examples of the State’s success.

“No other State could clinch such mega deals,” Lokesh stated, crediting Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s leadership and the State’s proactive investment strategies.

Lokesh emphasized that A.P. is uniquely focused on SoDB, which is evident in the progress of projects such as the AM-NS steel plant, TCS’s expansion into Visakhapatnam, a planned investment from LG Electronics, and RIL’s Compress Bio-Gas (CBG) plants. Further demonstrating the commitment to technological advancement, a 1-Gigawatt data center is under development in Visakhapatnam, and an automotive ecosystem is being built around the Kia Motors facility in Anantapur district.

Incentives being offered by the State include land for tech companies at a heavily subsidized rate of 99 paise per acre, under the Land Incentive for Tech Hub (LIFT) Policy. The government is also leasing 80,000 acres of barren land to RIL for Napier grass cultivation, aimed at CBG production.

Minister Lokesh also revealed A.P.’s ambition to lead India’s Quantum Technology revolution, with plans for a Quantum Valley in Amaravati. Furthermore, a Space City is being established in Tirupati district, anchored by Skyroot Aerospace, which has been allocated 300 acres.

Acknowledging potential challenges, Lokesh assured prospective investors that the State government is responsive and willing to make necessary adjustments. “As we are also humans, three out of ten decisions might go wrong but we are willing to listen and make the necessary course corrections. Once the hands are shaken, a project becomes ours,” he concluded.

The Andhra Pradesh-United Kingdom Business Forum took place on September 16, 2025, with this announcement published on September 17.

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