AP Invites Musk, Cook, Bezos!

The Andhra Pradesh government has planned to hold Global Investors Summit (GIS) in Visakhapatnam on March 3 and 4, according to the officials. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsoft Executive Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella are on the invitees list for the Summit.

As many as 15 Union ministers, 15 CMs, 44 global industrialists, 53 Indian industry bigwigs and ambassadors of various countries are also being invited for the two-day event. In the wake of heavy criticism that the YCP government is least interested in the development, the CM is betting big to attract large-scale investments into the state.

Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos and Samsung Chairman and CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon are also on the invitees list for the summit.

Industry giants including Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Anand Mahindra, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Adi Godrej, Rishad Premji and N. Chandrasekaran would also be invited to the Port City.

Ahead of the event, the CM, in a message, noted that the GIS was being hosted “with the goal of preparing for the future.” In the invitation, Jagan asked all the invitees to attend the event and “work with us” to “see your business flourish.”

After assuming power in 2019, the YCP government held a diplomatic outreach programme in Vijayawada, seeking investments from different countries. Now the AP government is planning to showcase “Advantage Andhra Pradesh” in a big way through the GIS.

Official sources said though a specific target has not been fixed for prospective investments, it was expected to garner anywhere between Rs 5-8 lakh crore into different sectors.

The state government has also decided to conduct roadshows in Germany, Japan, South Korea and USA, UAE and Taiwan to publicise about the Summit.

Roadshows about the Summit will also be held in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad too.

YSR Congress MP V Vijayasai Reddy said in a tweet, “In 2022, the AP State government cleared investment proposals worth Rs 1,26,750 crore, of which Rs 81,000 crore were towards green energy projects. 2023 will be bigger as we put all our strength behind the Global Investors Summit on March 3 and 4 in Vizag. AP is rising.”

The opposition parties viewed the Summit as another political stunt.

“In fact, the GIS is a political stunt to steer clear of criticism that the YCP government is just interested in distribution of sops but not in attracting investments and aiding development in the state. The YCP government is not really committed to development. Else, it would have developed Amaravati which would have attracted thousands of crores investment into the state,” said the TDP leaders.

The new SUVs included in the CM’s convoy could be for the Summit, said a BJP leader.

It has to be seen how many of the invitees would attend the Summit and also invest in the state.