After Google announced it would establish a one-gigawatt Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh celebrated the state’s investment by taking a jibe at Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.On X, Lokesh wrote, “They say Andhra food is spicy. Seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn!”He even used hashtags such as ‘Andhra Rising’ and ‘Youngest State Highest Investment’ before concluding the post.
They say Andhra food is spicy. Seems some of our investments are too. Some neighbours are already feeling the burn! ????️???? #AndhraRising #YoungestStateHighestInvestment
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) October 16, 2025The tweet refers to Google’s announcement of a $15 billion AI hub in the state, which is expected to generate 1.88 lakh jobs and bring ₹ 48,000 crore into the state’s economy.His remarks came after Shivakumar defended Bengaluru’s position by calling it the best city in India for IT because of its excellent infrastructure and skilled workforce.“I will not react to the statements of Nara Lokesh or someone else. There are 25 lakh IT professionals and 2 lakh foreigners working in Bengaluru,” he said, calling Bengaluru’s contribution to the country immense.
He further pointed out, “There is no match for Bengaluru in terms of infrastructure, human resources and innovation. Some people take the name of Bengaluru as they need it to market themselves.”Shivakumar also addressed the Google AI Hub investment directly, saying, “How can we stop them from going to Andhra Pradesh? They are going there because they are offering many concessions. Let them experience other places too.”There have been discussions about Karnataka not meeting its target of ₹ 1 lakh crore in investments recently. Some think companies are leaving the state for places like Andhra Pradesh.“Foreign dignitaries keep meeting us to explore investment in the state. No one is leaving Bengaluru. We don’t have to advertise; the inherent strength of Bengaluru attracts investments,” said Shivakumar.Recent investments in Andhra PradeshThe Raymond Group plans to invest ₹ 1,000 crore in two major industrial projects in Andhra Pradesh. One project involves establishing an advanced aerospace manufacturing facility with a ₹ 510 crore investment, which is expected to create 1,400 direct jobs by May 2027.The other one is about setting up an automotive component manufacturing unit with a ₹ 430 crore investment, which is expected to generate 4,096 jobs by the same date.On October 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth around ₹ 13,430 crore in Kurnool, including industry, power transmission, roads, railways, defence manufacturing, and petroleum and natural gas.
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