Q. What is the Andhra Pradesh government’s strategy to achieve the goals stated in Andhra Pradesh Electronics Policy 2014-2020?
A. Our strategy to make Andhra Pradesh a global electronics manufacturing hub rests on building core physical infrastructure, providing best-in-class policy instruments, developing a pool of skilled manpower and providing the most conducive business environment.
We plan to develop a mega electronics hub in Visakhapatnam, a hardware park in Kakinada and 20 EMCs across the state, including in the greenfield capital city of Amaravati. Four districts, namely, Nellore, Chittoor, Visakhapatnam and Krishna, have been designated brownfield EMCs.
Q. What are the steps taken by your government to ensure ease of doing business in the ESDM sector?
A. I am pleased to inform you that within 15 months of the bifurcation of the state, Andhra Pradesh has made an impact through its investor-friendly initiatives. It has been ranked second among states in the country with regards to ease of doing business as per World Bank’s report for Department of Industrial Promotion & Policy.
We have a single-desk portal that provides all clearances and approvals within 21 working days to set up an industry in the state. Apart from this, we have introduced labour reforms, permitted self-certifications under relevant laws and online systems for registration and filing of returns of state taxes. We have also declared the electronics hardware industry as an essential service under Andhra Pradesh Essential Services Maintenance Act.
Our vision and continuous push is to transform the state into the best investment destination, not just in India but to compete with the best countries.
Q. What is the current investment status in the ESDM sector of the state, and what is the projection for this financial year?
A. My government believes in being proactive and following a targeted approach for attracting investments. Over the past 15 months, we have gained significant traction in the mobile manufacturing sector.
Foxconn has started manufacturing mobile phones from Sri City. Recently, Xiaomi’s first made-in-India smartphone was launched; it was manufactured in Andhra Pradesh. Three of India’s leading handset companies, namely, Micromax, Celkon and Karbonn, are also setting up manufacturing units in Tirupati.
I want to create a mobile manufacturing hub in Andhra Pradesh. Already, with the interest shown by mobile manufacturing companies, I am hopeful that six to seven million phones will be manufactured in the state by next year (2016), and around 30,000 to 40,000 new jobs will be created in the sector.
