Cabinet clears Rs 39,437 crore projects across IT, energy, manufacturing

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh cabinet on Friday cleared 65 proposals, including large-scale investments in information technology, electronics, semiconductors, clean energy, manufacturing and tourism. Rs 39,437 crore worth of projects recently cleared by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) obtained cabinet nod, paving the way for grounding. The cabinet meeting, chaired by the chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, approved multiple projects in the IT and electronics sector in Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Chittoor, Sri Sathya Sai and Amaravati. The projects include AI data centres, IT parks, cable landing station, semiconductor OSAT and fabrication units, lithium-ion battery materials, and electronics manufacturing facilities. The largest among them was the Rs 10,239 crore worth semiconductor OSAT and fab project proposed by RRP Electronics Ltd in Sri Sathya Sai district. The cabinet also approved projects in Amaravati Quantum Valley, including an innovation hub and HPC-quantum facility for C-DAC, a quantum-safe infrastructure hub by PQStation, and an R&D and manufacturing facility by Quantum AI Global, under the AP Quantum Computing Policy. In the industries and commerce sector, approvals were accorded to proposals by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, Shyam Metallics and Energy, and Metro Decorative Pvt Ltd, among others, covering steel expansion, MDF and furniture manufacturing, and downstream steel projects. The cabinet cleared several renewable energy projects under the Integrated Clean Energy Policy, including solar, wind, hybrid, biomass and green hydrogen projects across Kurnool, Anantapur, YSR Kadapa, Nellore and coastal districts. It also approved a policy framework for granting deemed distribution licence status to eligible strategic data centres, subject to APERC approval. Revenue-related decisions included large-scale govt land allotments for industrial parks, power projects, tourism and educational institutions, besides amendments to land and assignment regulations. The cabinet approved ordinances to amend the Private Universities Act and the Higher Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission Act, aimed at restructuring regulatory mechanisms and expediting fee fixation. It also sanctioned Rs 1.28 crore from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for families of victims of a road accident in Markapuram district and cleared the establishment of a Disease Monitoring and Decision-Making Centre under the health department.