Thu Dec 11 09:19:26 UTC 2025: Summary:

Andhra Pradesh’s IT & HRD Minister, Nara Lokesh, actively courted Canadian investment in various sectors during a visit to Toronto on December 10, 2025. He met with executives from the Canada Business Council, Fairfax Financial Holdings, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and OpenText, pitching opportunities in renewable energy, sea ports, logistics, Amaravati’s development, and AI/quantum computing ecosystems. Lokesh emphasized Andhra Pradesh’s pro-business policies and recent progress under Chief Minister Naidu’s leadership. He also paid courtesy visits to the Consul General of India in Toronto and the Canada-India Business Council president.

News Article:

Andhra Pradesh Minister Lokesh Courts Canadian Investment During Toronto Visit

Toronto, December 11, 2025 – Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Information Technology & Human Resource Development, Nara Lokesh, concluded a whirlwind visit to Toronto on Wednesday, December 10th, seeking to attract Canadian investment to the Indian state.

Minister Lokesh met with key business leaders, including Goldy Hyder, President of the Canada Business Council, to promote Andhra Pradesh’s favorable business environment and highlight its recent advancements. He emphasized the state’s pro-business policies and the significant progress made under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Among other initiatives, Lokesh urged Fairfax Financial Holdings CEO, Prem Watsa, to consider establishing Sterling Resorts in the Nallamala forest region, mirroring the popular Panama City model in Florida. He also engaged with Tim Downing of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), advocating for investments in Andhra Pradesh’s renewable energy, sea ports, and logistics sectors, while suggesting the CPPIB become an institutional investor in the development of Amaravati.

Furthermore, Lokesh met with John Radko, Senior Vice President of OpenText, a leading company in Enterprise Information Management and Artificial Intelligence (AI). He sought OpenText’s expertise in developing AI and quantum computing ecosystems within Andhra Pradesh. Radko expressed the company’s interest in expanding operations to Tier-II cities in India and exploring opportunities in Andhra Pradesh.

The Minister also paid courtesy visits to the Consul General of India in Toronto, Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh, and the Canada-India Business Council president, Victor Thomas. Minister Lokesh aims to foster greater collaboration and investment between Canada and Andhra Pradesh to drive economic growth and development in the state.

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