Nasscom, craft rum & now aerospace, Lokesh swoops in to pitch AP as alternative to Karnataka
Taking a leaf out of the playbook of Telangana's former IT and industries minister K.T. Rama Rao, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Lokesh has his eyes and ears sharply focused on 'disappointments' and complaints from Bengaluru, another IT start-up capital in the neighbouring state of Karnataka, hoping to turn frustration with Bengaluru into business for Andhra Pradesh.
Hyderabad: Ten years after losing the state's IT powerhouse, Hyderabad, to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh's IT minister, Nara Lokesh, is seizing any opportunity he can to attract investments as the truncated state tries to reposition itself as a leading business destination.
The latest was Tuesday, when Lokesh jumped on the Siddaramaiah government's decision to scrap plans to acquire land for the aerospace park at Devanahalli near the Bengaluru international airport, following protests by farmers, offering 'a better idea' to the industry: move to Andhra Pradesh.
'Why don't you look at Andhra Pradesh instead? We have an attractive aerospace policy for you, with best-in-class incentives and over 8000 acres of ready-to-use land (just outside Bengaluru)! Hope to see you soon to talk across the table,' Lokesh wrote on X.
Dear Aerospace industry, sorry to hear about this. I have a better idea for you. Why don't you look at Andhra Pradesh instead? We have an attractive aerospace policy for you, with best-in-class incentives and over 8000 acres of ready-to-use land (just outside Bengaluru)! Hope to…
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) July 15, 2025
Lokesh's apparent reference is to Lepakshi, just across the border in Andhra Pradesh, where the Chandrababu Naidu government has plans to develop a space city—a hub for R&D as well as manufacturing of satellites and launch vehicles.
The city, proposed under the new Andhra Pradesh Space Policy (4.0), is also capitalising on its proximity to Bengaluru, home to the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) R&D hub and prominent aerospace clusters.
Asked about this approach, Lokesh told ThePrint the idea is to put their 100 percent into attracting more big-ticket investments to spur Andhra Pradesh's growth. 'We are operating like a startup, showing that hunger and fire, and working overtime to get things done.'
Also Read: Sriharikota, start-ups to space cities: Naidu govt aims for the cosmos with ambitious space policy
Capitalising on discontent
This is not the first time Lokesh has reached out to investors following discontent in Karnataka. In July last year, barely a month after becoming the minister, Lokesh touched base with Nasscom, again via X, after the IT industry body expressed serious concerns over the Karnataka government's decision to bring in legislation mandating 50-75 percent reservation of jobs in management and below levels to locals in private companies.
Lokesh was prompted by a public statement by Nasscom that 'restrictions could force companies to relocate as local skilled talent becomes scarce'.
Like the aerospace case, Lokesh addressed the stakeholders directly, assuring them there would be no such restrictions imposed on them in Andhra Pradesh. 'Dear @NASSCOM members, we understand your disappointment. We welcome you to expand or relocate your businesses to our IT, IT services, AI and data center cluster at Vizag.'
Dear @NASSCOM members,
We understand your disappointment. We welcome you to expand or relocate your businesses to our IT, IT services, AI and data center cluster at Vizag.
We will offer you best-in-class facilities, uninterrupted power, infrastructure and the most suitable… https://t.co/x2N0CTbnfp
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) July 17, 2024
After Hyderabad's loss, Visakhapatnam, also known as Vizag, has been serving as Andhra Pradesh's IT centre, although it is just a weak shadow of the former.
Similarly, last month, Lokesh's office got in touch with Aruna Urs, co-founder of Mysuru-based craft rum distiller Huli, who was fuming over license fee hikes in Karnataka. The outreach was to invite the brewer to discuss the state's excise policy and incentives for his firm to relocate to Andhra.
On its part, Karnataka doesn't seem ready to cede any space to Andhra Pradesh.
Replying to Lokesh's post, Karnataka's industries minister M.B. Patil wrote, 'We've built the country's strongest aerospace base over the decades, contributing 65 percent of India's aerospace output and ranking No. 1 nationally, 3rd globally. It isn't about land alone – it's about talent, innovation, and a proven ecosystem.'
Dear @naralokesh,
Karnataka doesn't just offer land – it offers India's No. 1 aerospace & defence ecosystem.
We've built the country's strongest aerospace base over the decades, contributing 65% of India's aerospace output and ranking No. 1 nationally, 3rd globally.
It isn't… https://t.co/XzArds5xZY
— M B Patil (@MBPatil) July 16, 2025
Whether he succeeds in attracting investments with this approach or not, Lokesh seems to be following the footsteps of the former minister for IT and industries in Telangana, K.T. Rama Rao. As Hyderabad looked to beat Bengaluru in the tech sector, KTR also frequently jumped on opportunities arising from complaints about policy challenges or infrastructure issues in the Karnataka capital. When fintech Khatabook founder Ravish Naresh criticised the bad condition of roads, power cuts, inadequate water supply and other infrastructure problems in Bengaluru in 2022, KTR was quick to respond on Twitter.
'Pack your bags & move to Hyderabad! We have better physical infrastructure & equally good social infrastructure. Our airport is 1 of the best & getting in & out of city is a breeze More importantly our Govt's focus is on 3 i Mantra; innovation, infrastructure & inclusive growth,' he wrote on the micro-blogging platform.
Apart from such social media invitations, KTR also aggressively pitched Hyderabad as a better city in terms of infrastructure and investment, drawing frequent comparisons to Bengaluru. 'There is inertia in Bengaluru. Come and invest in Hyderabad, which is a dynamic city,' he urged NRI entrepreneurs while addressing an Indian diaspora meeting at San Jose in 2022, while on tour in the US, scouting for investments in Telangana.
Adding, 'Quality of infrastructure is twice as good in Hyderabad while cost of living is low, compared to Bengaluru.'
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
Also Read: 'CEO CM' 2.0 takes stage with Amaravati as theme. Quantum Valley is Chandrababu's next centrepiece
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