Naidu bets big on AI to power AP’s tech leap
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, middle, during a session at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, in New Delhi, Friday
Amaravati: Cruising ahead to realise its ambition of positioning Andhra Pradesh as a global hub for Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies, the coalition government on Friday signed seven MoUs with reputed national and international organisations.
On the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu signed a key MoU with the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) to establish its first South India ‘deemed-to-be university’ campus in Amaravati. The initiative aims to strengthen the State’s position as a centre for quantum and AI education.
Naidu said the NIELIT partnership would play a vital role in skill development and also explore avenues for strengthening India’s semiconductor ecosystem. He said he was delighted to be joined by NIELIT Director General Dr. Madan Mohan Tripathi during the signing.
The Chief Minister, who participated in a plenary session on AI Accelerator Economic Growth, also inked MoUs with IBM, United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC), IIT Madras and Vysar, focusing on AI infrastructure and quantum skill development. He further took part in a roundtable on Competitiveness through AI along with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Børge Brende, CEO of the World Economic Forum.
Highlighting the IBM partnership, Naidu said Andhra Pradesh will skill one lakh youngsters in AI, cybersecurity and quantum computing over the next three to five years. The programme aims to deliver industry-aligned, future-ready skills and strengthen the State’s emerging tech workforce.
In another major initiative, the State government signed a Letter of Intent with UNICC to establish a Centre of Excellence for AI and Quantum at the Amaravati Quantum Valley. The proposed CoE will function as a Digital Embassy for Secure AI, enabling sovereign and cybersecure AI deployments aligned with UN-grade standards.
Following discussions at the WEF meeting in Davos, the State also signed an MoU with Michigan-based Calibo Inc. The partnership will support over 50 higher education institutions in Andhra Pradesh with AI curriculum frameworks, faculty development and applied learning programmes. Additionally, a State-level AI Sandbox will be set up through the Real Time Governance Society to enable smarter and citizen-centric public services.
