Amaravati, Jan 21 (PTI) Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday proposed the establishment of an Israeli industrial park in Andhra during meetings with Israeli representatives and diplomats on the sidelines
of the WEF in Davos, Switzerland.
During discussions with Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister for Economy and Industry, Roey Fisher, Trade Commissioner, and Shir Slutzky, Head of the Israel Economy and Trade Mission to Switzerland, Naidu said the proposed industrial park could serve as an anchor for Israeli firms.
"I also proposed establishing an Israel Industrial Park in Andhra Pradesh to anchor Israeli firms, hosting med-tech, aero-defence, and clean-tech companies for local manufacturing," Naidu said in a post on 'X'.
Apart from the industrial park proposal, the CM deliberated with the Israeli delegation on collaboration opportunities in defence, aerospace, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ecosystems.
They also discussed prospects in desalination and groundwater quality improvement, as well as in semiconductors, quantum technologies, medicine, education, and cybersecurity.
Separately, Naidu met Calista Redmond, Vice President, Global AI Initiatives at Nvidia, to discuss fast-tracking plans for India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) University in the greenfield capital city of Amaravati.
The chief minister noted that Nvidia and the Government of Andhra have already signed an agreement related to the AI university.
"Nvidia is partnering with the Government of Andhra to build a robust AI ecosystem, particularly through skilling opportunities for our youth and nurturing start-ups," Naidu said.
He added that discussions also explored additional avenues, including a potential Nvidia Global Capability Centre (GCC), hardware manufacturing, and collaboration with the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub.
In another engagement, Naidu met Swiss representatives and conveyed Andhra’s intent to strengthen trade relations with Switzerland across multiple sectors.
He held discussions with Nik Gugger, Member of the Swiss Parliament and President of the Swiss–Indian Friendship Group, and Martina Bietenhader, Advisor at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), among others.
The chief minister said Andhra offers strong opportunities for Swiss companies to establish and expand their operations as part of a long-term growth partnership. PTI STH SSK ADB
