At the 30th CII Partnership Summit 2025 in Visakhapatnam, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal highlighted India’s accelerating rise as a reliable global economic partner. He emphasized that the country’s growing strength comes from its stability in policymaking, expanding innovation ecosystem, semiconductor progress, and rapid clean-energy transition. According to him, these pillars have placed India on a firm path toward achieving the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Mr. Goyal applauded Andhra Pradesh for playing a decisive role in this journey, noting the state’s expanding footprint in advanced manufacturing, green energy, coastal logistics, and defense technologies. One of the most significant announcements at the Summit was India’s first dedicated Drone City, coming up in Orvakal in Kurnool district. Developed jointly with the Andhra Pradesh government, the project spans nearly 300 acres and is expected to create more than 40,000 jobs. The hub will house the world’s largest multi-purpose drone testing zone, while also providing integrated facilities for production, research and development, testing, and repair services.
The event also showcased Andhra Pradesh’s rising influence in sectors such as green hydrogen, electronics, semiconductors, and unmanned systems. These developments, Mr. Goyal said, reinforce India’s ambition to become a global hub for new-age industries.
During the Summit, the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) presented its strategy for building next-generation Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities across Krishnapatnam, Orvakal, and Kopparthy. These locations are strategically positioned along major industrial corridors and are designed to support advanced manufacturing, seamless logistics, and Industry 5.0-driven production environments.
NICDC CEO and Managing Director Rajat Kumar Saini underscored that digital infrastructure, renewable energy integration, and automation will be central to these future industrial ecosystems. Strong footfall at the NICDC pavilion reflected growing investor interest in major national platforms such as the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), the Logistics Data Bank, India Industrial Land Bank, and PM MITRA Parks.
These initiatives, combined with large-scale industrial city development across multiple corridors, aim to propel India toward sustainable, technology-rich, and globally competitive growth.
