Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has urged the US-India Business Council (USIBC) to work with his government to identify ‘5 big ideas’ to catalyse the US-Andhra Pradesh economic partnership.
He said that Andhra Pradesh and USIBC can prepare a roadmap to achieve investment and trade targets especially in the areas of agriculture and food security, healthcare, education, infrastructure and manufacturing.
He mooted the idea while addressing a business roundtable discussion organised by USIBC and the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center.
The roundtable with Jagan Reddy in collaboration with Georgetown University focused on opportunities to strengthen connectivity between the US and Andhra Pradesh and it laid the foundation for investment and trade opportunities, according to an official release.
Jagan Reddy is on a private visit to the US to admit his daughter to a university but is scheduled to hold few meetings with US officials.
“Andhra Pradesh is poised to catalyse investments, capital and partnerships owing to robust infrastructure for connectivity, enabling policies, integration with global value chains, shifting demographic dividend and a ready workforce,” the Chief Minister said.
He said the government was committed to strengthening the human, physical, natural and financial resources, though the launch of several programmes is based on a four-pronged approach – driving economic growth, investment in the future and human potential, creating a social safety net for its people and transforming governance.
Jagan Reddy laid his emphasis on delivery of corruption-free governance, bringing transparency in procurement and contract management and providing investor-friendly experience through one-stop handholding of investors across the implementation lifecycle.
Rob Schroder, Senior Vice President, International Affairs, US Chamber of Commerce, appreciated Jagan Reddy’s impressive mandate for unlocking the expansive growth potential of Andhra Pradesh.
India’s ambassador to US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, described Jagan Reddy’s decisive victory a landmark event and said this will support India’s rise into a $5 trillion economy.
Irfan Nooruddin, Director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council said that the council would help Andhra Pradesh to engage closely with the private sector on building climate resilience.
