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Chandrababu Naidu urges ASEAN to invest in Andhra

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday urged the companies and investors from ASEAN region to invest in this southern state in sectors such as information technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, agro-processing, tourism and other services segments.

Naidu made this fervent plea while inaugurating the Hyderabad edition of India-Asean Business Summit.

"There are many more areas for forging beneficial relationships between India and the ASEAN. These include development of infrastructure such as airports, ports, roads, power and telecom, establishment of special economic zones, IT parks and intelligent cities," he pointed out.

"There are distinct opportunities for partnerships in areas such as agro-processing and pharma. Thailand, for example, has done exceedingly well in agro and food processing. We in Andhra Pradesh contribute 35 percent of bulk drugs production in India and have considerable strength in biotechnology," he explained.

Naidu said a number of Malaysian companies were working on infrastructure projects in India, particularly in sectors such as construction, ports, airports, roads, et cetera.

"Malaysia has established an infrastructure that is world class. Malaysia's infrastructure with India's manpower can be a formidable combination. This is equally true for many of the other member-countries of ASEAN," he observed.

The chief minister said that many of the ASEAN countries could partner with India in offering IT and IT-enabled services to the developed countries. "India and the Philippines have a large number of English-speaking graduates. Both countries can benefit from co-location of back-off operations catering to western companies. Other countries in ASEAN region can do the same," he said, referring to the immense opportunities that can be exploited mutually.

India, he said, has considerable strengths in terms of a large pool of skilled manpower. Andhra Pradesh alone produced 65,000 engineers from its 217 engineering colleges every year.

Many of the ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, can benefit from this large pool of Indian manpower.

"Tourism is one area which holds tremendous potential for mutual benefit. At present, only five percent of all inbound tourists to India are from ASEAN countries. The number of Indian tourists visiting ASEAN is less than a million every year. Given our geographical proximity, much more can be achieved in the tourism sector," he pointed out.

Naidu recalled the significant progress achieved in Andhra Pradesh in e-governance as a means to improve the quality of services provided to the citizens.

"Harnessing the power of technology can transform the way governments deal with the citizens. There is a tremendous scope for mutual learning between India and countries of the ASEAN region in e-governance. Singapore, for instance, has made substantial progress in e-government applications. Indian, with its experience and skills, contribute significantly to realizing the goals of e-ASEAN," he said.

"As much as digital networks are transforming the world, business networks can redefine success. By the year 2020, world GNP would be about $50 trillion. The services sector would contribute roughly $42 trillion. Obviously, it is the services sector that should be the focus of out attention as we explore new opportunities for a win-win partnership between India and the ASEAN," he observed.

Urging the ASEAN investors to come to this southern state, Naidu said Andhra Pradesh achieved pre-eminence as the most reforming state in the state.

"We have been rated by the Computer Society of India as the most e-savvy state in the country with a clear leadership in e-governance. Our power sector reforms have been rated the best by CRISIL. The NASSCOM has rated Hyderabad as the most attractive destination for IT-enabled services in the country. Over the last seven years, we have transformed Hyderabad into a knowledge hub-an icon of modern India," he added.

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