AP Is Now India’s Brand Ambassador of Speed, 2 Million Jobs Planned in 5 Years: Lokesh

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education and IT Nara Lokesh addressed thousands of Telugu NRIs at the Curtis Culwell Center in the United States, promising unwavering government support to the Telugu diaspora across the world.

The event saw participation from AP Government Advisor (NRI Affairs) & AP NRTS President Vemuru Ravikumar, NRI TDP USA Coordinator Komati Jayaram, Garland Mayor Dylan Hedrick and a large turnout of Telugu people from across Texas and the United States.

Lokesh said the Telugu Desam Party and his family would always cherish the people who stood by them during the most difficult opposition years.

Lokesh recalled that when former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was illegally arrested, Telugu people in the United States came out in large numbers to support their leader.

“You are not NRIs - you are MRIs: Most Reliable Indians,” Lokesh declared, crediting the diaspora for helping the NDA alliance achieve a historic mandate by winning 164 out of 175 seats in the State Legislative Assembly elections held in 2024.

“When the erstwhile YSRCP regime said ‘Why Not 175?’, the people responded ‘Why Not 11?’ and ensured a complete political turnaround by restricting the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led party to just 11 seats,” he remarked, with a note of sarcasm.

Lokesh showcased Andhra Pradesh’s rapid progress under the double-engine governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, with Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan forming a formidable alliance.

He highlighted the State’s decentralized growth strategy transforming eight major zones: Automotive in Anantapur, renewable energy in Kurnool, electronics manufacturing in Chittoor and Kadapa, solar and diversified manufacturing in Nellore, CBG & green fuels in Prakasam, quantum tech and capital projects in Krishna and Guntur,

aquaculture and a gro exports in Godavari districts, IT, pharma, medical devices and ArcelorMittal Steel in North Andhra.

The Minister said: “2019–24 made us hesitant to say we were from Andhra Pradesh — today AP is leading India’s fastest development,” he said.

Lokesh reaffirmed the coalition government’s central commitment: "Our mission is to create 20 lakh jobs in five years.”

He noted that in the last 17 months, the government secured ₹20 lakh crore investments, capable of generating 16 lakh jobs, and is now focused on rapidly grounding them and added that continuity in governance is vital.

Lokesh announced that from next year, the ‘Kallaku Rekkalu’ initiative will support Telugu students pursuing overseas education. He assured that AP NRT will protect every Telugu family abroad during any crisis—social, financial, or legal.

He encouraged youth to transform into entrepreneurs:

“The world values Telugu talent — now we must become job creators, not just job seekers.”

The TDP leader said the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub and emerging tech parks in AP will be strong platforms for diaspora entrepreneurship.

Lokesh condemned the previous regime for insulting women and his mother in the Assembly and emphasized that the NDA government will uphold dignity and accountability while driving a development-first agenda.