Lokesh lays foundation for Sagar Defence shipbuilding centre in Nellore district

Tirupati: State HRD minister Nara Lokesh laid the foundation stone for the Sagar Defence shipbuilding and systems development centre at Juvalladinne fishing harbour in Bogole mandal in Nellore district on Thursday.Nara Lokesh emphasised the state govt's commitment to transforming Andhra Pradesh into a premier destination for defence manufacturing and maritime technology. He noted that the establishment of this world-class facility was a testament to investor confidence in the NDA govt at the helm in the state. Sagar Defence will invest ₹45 crore in the first phase of the project.Andhra Pradesh has the second-longest coastline in India. The minister highlighted the govt's plan to develop "blue economy" clusters and modern industrial hubs along the coastline.Lokesh described the Juvvaladinne Fishing Harbour as a "dream project" of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The harbour is designed to accommodate 1,250 mechanised boats. It features a storage capacity of 41,000 tonnes of fish, aiming to improve the livelihoods of 25,000 fishing families.Nellore TDP MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy hailed the project as a matter of pride for the state, noting that Juvvaladinne would host the world's first Sagar Defence Autonomous Maritime Shipbuilding Systems Centre. He remarked that local youth would no longer need to migrate for work, as high-tech jobs are being brought to their doorstep.Kovur legislator Vemireddy Prashanti Reddy, Kavali legislator Kavya Krishna Reddy, MLC Beeda Ravichandra, and other TDP leaders took part.