New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal chaired a high-level review meeting over the weekend in Guntur to assess the progress of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation’s (NICDC) industrial nodes in Andhra Pradesh, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The review focused on the development of three major nodes in the state – the Krishnapatnam Industrial Area under the Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, the Orvakal Industrial Area under the Hyderabad–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, and the Kopparthy Industrial Area under the Visakhapatnam–Chennai Industrial Corridor, according to the statement.

Goyal directed officials to focus on attracting anchor investors and startups by building innovation-friendly ecosystems within each industrial node. He stressed the need to establish dedicated incubators to nurture early-stage enterprises and facilitate a robust startup ecosystem.

Officials were also instructed to earmark zones within each node for MSMEs and startups, offering subsidised rates and equipping them with state-of-the-art infrastructure and technological support.

Highlighting the need for global partnerships, Goyal advocated organising country-specific investment conclaves to attract targeted foreign investments. He further called for the creation of a centralised dashboard to enable real-time monitoring of project progress and urged the adoption of advanced testing and quality control mechanisms to ensure world-class infrastructure.

Reaffirming the Centre’s commitment to transforming Andhra Pradesh into a symbol of industrial excellence and innovation, the minister said the state is poised to become “Swarnandhra Pradesh”—a beacon of inclusive and sustainable industrial growth.

The review session began with detailed presentations on all three NICDC nodes by the APIIC Vice Chairman & Managing Director, followed by an overview of Andhra Pradesh’s industrial roadmap under the ambitious “Swarna Andhra 2047” framework presented by the state Industries Secretary.

NICDC CEO & MD Rajat Kumar Saini emphasised the importance of fast-tracking land acquisition, timely execution of external infrastructure by the state government, and ensuring quality standards throughout project implementation.

The Krishnapatnam Node across 2,006 acres has an investment potential of approximately Rs 10,500 crore with employment generation of 1 lakh jobs.

The Orvakal Node, coming up in 2,621 acres, is projected to attract an investment of Rs 12,000 crore and employment for approximately 45,000 people, while the Kopparthy Node, in 2,596 acres, is expected to attract Rs 8,800 crore with job creation for approximately 54,000 individuals.

The NICDC is an initiative of the Centre under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. It is dedicated to developing next-generation industrial smart cities aimed at boosting manufacturing, attracting investments, generating employment, and enhancing India’s global economic competitiveness.

It ensures seamless multimodal connectivity, plug-and-play infrastructure, and sustainable urbanisation through its flagship corridors: the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor, the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor, the Chennai–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, the East Coast Economic Corridor, and the Bengaluru–Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

–IANS

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