IT minister Nara Lokesh speaks at an event hosted by Indian diaspora in Seoul, South Korea on Sunday Vijayawada: IT and HRD minister Nara Lokesh called upon the Telugu diaspora in South Korea to become ambassadors of Andhra Pradesh and promote the state as a preferred investment destination. Addressing a Telugu diaspora meeting in Seoul on the first day of his Korea tour on Sunday, Lokesh said every successful non-resident Telugu brings pride to Andhra Pradesh and urged them to showcase the state’s strengths to global investors.Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh is ready to partner with investors from across the world through transparent governance, speedy approvals and investor-friendly policies. He encouraged the diaspora to explain the opportunities available in the state and invite Korean businesses to explore investment prospects, expressing confidence that companies visiting state would choose it for expansion.Describing South Korea’s development journey as an inspiration, Lokesh said globally renowned companies such as Samsung, Hyundai, LG and Kia had demonstrated that innovation, hard work and technological excellence drive economic growth. He said the partnership between India and South Korea extended beyond trade and was built on democratic values, mutual trust, innovation and investment in youth. He noted that both countries had strengthened cooperation in electronics, automobiles, semiconductors, shipbuilding, green energy, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and higher education.Referring to Kia’s investment in the state, Lokesh said the State had emerged as a trusted partner by providing land, infrastructure and quick clearances, resulting in the creation of a vibrant automobile ecosystem and thousands of jobs. He said state was looking forward to many more success stories in sectors including semiconductors, mobility, battery technology, green hydrogen, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.The minister said that the Chandrababu Naidu-led govt had restored investor confidence through its 3S model of Speed, Stability and Service. He said the State was redesigning its education system to meet industry requirements by aligning academic curricula with emerging industrial clusters and equipping students with practical skills for global careers.Earlier, Lokesh met Indian ambassador to South Korea Gaurangalal Das and sought support in attracting leading Korean electronics and semiconductor companies to Andhra Pradesh. He highlighted ready-to-use industrial clusters at Sri City, Naidupeta, Kopparthi and Visakhapatnam, and proposed collaboration with IIT Tirupati, IIIT Sri City and Andhra University for skill development in VLSI, semiconductor packaging, displays and electronics manufacturing.He also proposed a plug-and-play township for Korean SMEs at Sri City, expansion of the Kia-Hyundai Mobis automotive ecosystem in Anantapur, and collaboration in shipbuilding, battery manufacturing and green hydrogen projects. He requested support for the upcoming Seoul investors’ roadshow and strengthening Andhra Pradesh-South Korea industrial cooperation.
