K Varaprasada Rao Amaravati

Rockets, advanced technology and global industrial capital will take centre stage as Andhra Pradesh prepares to make an ambitious pitch for a place in the next wave of industrial growth. Visakhapatnam will host the 31st CII Partnership Summit on November 12 and 13, bringing together international business leaders, foreign government representatives, diplomats and executives of major companies.

The state is using the global gathering to position itself beyond conventional manufacturing, targeting high-value industries in space technology, clean energy, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing. Its larger ambition is to attract businesses that can connect Andhra Pradesh with emerging global markets and technology-driven supply chains.

Organised jointly by the state government and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the summit will be inaugurated by Union home minister Amit Shah at Andhra University on November 12, from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will participate in key sessions and hold meetings with international delegates, multinational companies and Central ministers.

A major attraction will be the proposed interaction with India’s private space industry. Naidu is scheduled to meet representatives of Agnikul, Bellatrix Aerospace, Skyroot and Hawthorne Rockets to explore opportunities in space technology, research and manufacturing.

The participation of these companies brings a distinctive dimension to the State’s investment strategy. The expanding private space sector offers opportunities in launch systems, satellite technologies, propulsion and specialised components, creating demand for advanced manufacturing and research facilities. Andhra Pradesh intends to present its infrastructure and policy framework to companies operating in this emerging industry.

The presence of Dr Daren Tang, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), adds an important international dimension. With patents, innovation and intellectual property protection playing an increasingly significant role in technology-led businesses, Naidu will hold a separate meeting with Tang.

The Chief Minister is also scheduled to meet government representatives from Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Guatemala and Slovakia, besides the ambassadors of Japan and Russia. He will meet the chairman of a Japanese institute focused on international strategy.

The corporate delegation will include representatives of Kia Motors, ReNew, Mondelez India, Saint-Gobain, NALCO and Levista, spanning automobiles, renewable energy, food processing, construction materials, infrastructure and manufacturing. Naidu will also meet ReNew chief executive Sumant Sinha and participate in discussions with CII-associated chief executives.

The summit will provide a platform for the State to seek greater Central support for industrial expansion. Naidu is scheduled to meet Central ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Chirag Paswan, Pralhad Joshi and Sarbananda Sonowal to discuss sector-specific development measures, central assistance and possible concessions or relaxations for different sections of the state’s population. He will also raise the impact of international developments on various sectors in Andhra Pradesh.

A separate Women and Growth Summit 2026 at Novotel, Visakhapatnam, will focus on women’s economic empowerment.

Naidu will begin his engagements a day before the summit, meeting Singaporean Minister Gan Siow Huang in Amaravati on November 11. In Visakhapatnam, he is scheduled to meet WIPO Director General Daren Tang, Japanese Ambassador Keiichi Ono, UAE Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and ReNew chief executive Sumant Sinha, followed by interactions with CII chief executives and a welcome dinner for international delegates.

The state has already secured investment commitments worth Rs 86,000 crore through five regional investor meetings held as preparatory outreach. The Visakhapatnam summit now offers a larger international platform to turn Andhra Pradesh’s investment ambitions into long-term business partnerships, technology collaborations and globally competitive industries.