Before leaving for Davos to attend the 46th World Economic Forum Annual Summit, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu found himself busily engaged in a sort of mini partnership summit in Zurich today. He held series of meetings with investor and extracted commitments on investments in thousands of crores.
Meeting 1: A delegation from leading solar panel manufacturing company, Meyer Burger has met the Chief Minister. The delegation evinced interest in starting an export driven project. They said they are considering Vizag and Rajahmundry as suitable locations. They have evinced interest to export 50 per cent as domestic market. The Chief Minister offered the delegation real-time assistance to set up their plant. He explained the demographic advantages of each town in Andhra Pradesh.
Meeting 2: Later, the Chief Minister had a meeting with BhmPartners Group. Explaining their company’s profile, the delegation explained that they serve as fund managers for investors. They are focussed on biotechnology, biomedical science, diagnostics and medical sciences. They are currently looking at China and Europe to expand their market.
Meeting 3: Flisom has also evinced interest in setting up a solar panel manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh with a starting investment of $200 million. The company manufactures flexible solar modules. Later, delegations from Nuesch Development, Keller, Gherzi, and SEAS (Society de l’eau Aerienne Suisse) companies made presentations to the Chief Minister.
Meeting 4: Nüesch Development, a company with 20 years experience in sustainable urbanisation are specialists in low energy buildings. The company already has a project in Pune.
Meeting 5: Jens Weise, Head of Customer Management, BKW Engineering met the Chief Minister. Specialised in hydro power generation, the company has evinced interest to partner with Andhra Pradesh in the conventional energy sector. The Chief Minister invited the delegation to visit Andhra Pradesh and perform a study on the state’s hydro resources and come up with projects to work upon.
Meeting 6: Later, Franceso Gherzi, Chairman, Gherzi Textile Unit submitted a mega textile park proposal with an investment of Rs 2000 crore to the Chief Minister. Explaining the proposal they explained that the challenge in Andhra Pradesh’s textile industry lies in adding value to the cotton production by weaving and not merely by ginning. The delegation informed that Gherzi Textile unit is present in India for the last three decades and operates some textile units in Andhra Pradesh as well.
The Chief Minister invited the delegations to take up projects on pilot basis in Andhra Pradesh. He asked them to do prototype projects and scale up further. He suggested that the low investments that are currently flowing from Switzerland to Indian can be gradually increased.
Meeting 7: Later, a delegation from Verde International AG gave a presentation to the Chief Minister. In the presentation, they explained their novel technology that doesn’t require dam storage capacity and is eco friendly. They evinced interest in doing a pilot in Andhra Pradesh so that cost effectiveness can be examined. The Chief Minister agreed to the proposal and directed them to begin the ground work. The unit can be completed in 3 to 4 months.
Meeting 8: Power storage devices manufacturer, Leclanché has come forward to set up a manufacturing facility in India. The delegation is interested in choosing Andhra Pradesh as preferred location to set up the plant.
Meeting 9: Commodity trading company Indani Global has come forward to set up a gold refinery in Andhra Pradesh, if essential incentives are offered. The delegation pointed out that most of the refineries in India are located in Uttarakhand. Stating the Andhra Pradesh is leading in palm oil production, the Chief Minister asked the delegation to explore the possibility of starting an edible oil refinery.
Meeting 10: A delegation from Ethical Coffee Company made a presentation to Chief Minister. They informed that they aim to target the Asian market and attain a market value of 1 billion dollars in 7 years. The Chief Minister asked the delegation to explore organic Coffee plantations at Araku. He suggested them to locate at Vizag making it accessible to Araku production and port.
Meeting 11: After already having shown interest to partner with Andhra Pradesh, the Chief Minister invited eco company ArStaeco to participate in the ongoing tendering process for waste to energy facility in Vizag.
