Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh said the government aimed to make Andhra Pradesh the No. 1 state in the country and sought everyone’s cooperation in achieving the goal.

The Minister, along with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, participated in a dinner meeting with the Pan-IIT Conference team in Vijayawada on Friday (October 2, 2026).

He said everyone was aware of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s capabilities. “Operating systems keep improving with every new version. Similarly, our Chief Minister is also becoming better with every version. This is his fourth version,” he said. He noted that 50 % of the MLAs in the present government were first-time legislators, while 17 of the 25 ministers were holding ministerial positions for the first time. “I am now a senior minister. All of us are working with determination and commitment for the development of the State,” he said.

The Minister sought the support, ideas and expertise of the Pan-IIT community to help Andhra Pradesh emerge as the No. 1 State in the country, saying the State was creating opportunities across emerging sectors and aiming to lead India’s transformation into a developed nation. He said the government was keen to work with industry, academia and technology experts and was willing to learn from their experience.

He said the State was witnessing developments across a wide range of sectors, from horticulture and space technology to drones, quantum technology and data centres. Referring to the recently launched Indian School of Agriculture and Horticulture Mission, he said public and private sectors were expected to make investments of nearly $10 billion under the initiative, with the objective of taking India to the top globally in horticulture.

Mr. Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh could play a leading role in the country’s development because of its talent, intellectual strength, determination and positive leadership and expressed the view that India could become a developed nation within a decade.

The Minister also highlighted the government’s plans for Amaravati, saying the capital city was being developed as a world-class city. He invited the Pan-IIT delegates to visit Amaravati and witness the ongoing development. He said the government wanted Amaravati to become a city that would make the country proud and attract global attention.

Describing the partnership between the Centre and the State as the “Naidu ji–Modi ji” combination, he said the government was working at a rapid pace and that the State’s goal of becoming No. 1 could not be achieved by the government alone and required the cooperation of experts, professionals, industry and academic institutions.

Pan-IIT Chairman Prabhat Singh, members of Pan-IIT, Directors of IITs from across the country, alumni and industrialists attended the meeting.