Andhra CM unveils vision to make Vizag economic powerhouse by 2032

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday laid out an ambitious roadmap to transform Visakhapatnam into a major economic powerhouse over the next seven years.

The CM stressed the need to establish a Visakha Economic Region' by integrating eight districts, with the goal of generating economic activity worth USD 120 billion by 2032.

“Naidu has directed officials to develop the 'Visakha Economic Region' as the growth engine of Andhra Pradesh, aiming for a USD 120 billion economy from this region by 2032. He highlighted the need to transform Visakhapatnam into another Mumbai in the next seven years, said an official press release.

The Visakha Economic Region' includes eight districts Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, Alluri Sita Ramaraju and Manyam.

Naidu instructed officials to develop projects that will boost economic activity across this eight-district zone and also ordered them to identify one lakh acres for various projects.

Spanning 36,000 sq km, this region is home to a population of 15.5 million people and currently facilitates economic activities worth around USD 49 billion.

According to the TDP supremo, this region could generate up to 24 lakh jobs by 2032, making it crucial for the state's future growth.

During a review meeting today with NITI Aayog officials at the secretariat, the Chief Minister discussed the development of the Visakhapatnam Economic Region.

He proposed development centred around six ports, seven manufacturing nodes, 17 major agricultural zones, six service hubs and 12 tourism hubs.

NITI Aayog officials presented a detailed power point presentation, said the press release.

A total of 41 key projects are to be prioritized for implementation, said the release.

On realising these goals, within the next seven years, the region could see the construction of 7.5 lakh housing units, 10,000 hotel rooms, up to 20 innovation centres, 10 colleges, 7,000 hospital beds, industrial development across 20,000 hectares, 80 million sq ft of office space and 60 million sq ft of warehousing capacity.

“We will develop beach roads from Mulapeta to Visakhapatnam and Visakhapatnam to Kakinada. These will be connected to national highways. The coast is a treasure trove, we must leverage it fully, said Naidu, outlining plans for a coastal corridor as a wealth generator.

He further said Andhra Pradesh is prioritising the development of solar, wind, pumped hydro, battery storage, and green hydrogen as part of its energy strategy.

The CM highlighted the state’s abundant natural resources to support this vision and urged NITI Aayog to extend its support in bringing it to fruition.

Later, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Andhra government, NITI Aayog, and the ISEG Foundation for the State Energy Transition Roadmap.

The current installed power generation capacity in the state is 27.3 GW.

Electricity demand in the state rose from 55.6 BU (billion units) in 2019 to 69.7 BU in 2025 while industrial demand grew by 4.8 percent and household demand by 5.1 percent, the release added.

Power demand is projected to rise from 88.6 BU next year to 163.9 BU by 2035.

Under the AP (Andhra Pradesh) Integrated Clean Energy Policy, the targets include 78.50 GW of solar power, 35 GW wind, 22 GW pumped storage, 1.50 MMTPA green hydrogen, 25 GW battery storage, 1,500 KLPD ethanol, 5,000 EV charging stations, and 10,000 TPD bio-CNG/CBG.

The state has already attracted Rs 5.78 lakh crore investments in clean energy, enabling 57.7 GW of power generation, the press release added.