Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to transform Andhra Pradesh into a major entrepreneurial and industrial hub, announcing plans to create one crore entrepreneurs under the “One Family-One Entrepreneur” initiative.Addressing the “One Family-One Entrepreneur MSME Growth Summit 2026” in Vijayawada after inaugurating the Dr BR Ambedkar Kalavedika and virtually laying foundation stones for 38 MSME parks, the chief minister said the MSME sector would play a crucial role in the economic development of the state and the country.Calling upon youth to develop innovative thinking and become job creators instead of job seekers, Chandrababu Naidu said MSMEs have the strength to transform small ideas into large industries. He described the sector as the second-largest employment generator after agriculture.The chief minister announced that the govt would transform five lakh women from DWCRA self-help groups into entrepreneurs this year. He said women’s groups currently hold a corpus fund of nearly Rs 28,000 crore and would be encouraged to actively participate in industrial and startup activities.Highlighting govt support to the MSME sector, Chandrababu Naidu said the state already released Rs 558 crore in incentives and would launch the AP Cluster Development Programme with Rs 200 crore. He added that banks extended over Rs 2.11 lakh crore in loans to MSMEs, while special action plans were being implemented to facilitate loans worth Rs 5,000 crore under the Credit Guarantee Scheme. Naidu said that 175 new MSME parks will be established across the state.The chief minister also announced a special programme to support aspiring entrepreneurs with loans up to Rs 1 crore. He said agreements were signed with several global technology companies to strengthen industrial growth and innovation.Outlining Andhra Pradesh’s future development strategy, Chandrababu Naidu said Visakhapatnam would emerge as a global data centre hub, Amaravati as a Quantum Valley, and the Puttaparthi-Bengaluru belt as a defence corridor. He also announced plans to establish a fifth-generation fighter jet testing facility in Rayalaseema within 36 days.In another major announcement, the chief minister said the govt would invest Rs 40,000 crore to transform Rayalaseema into a horticulture hub while developing tourist destinations such as Gandikota and Suryalanka Beach into world-class attractions.He said Andhra Pradesh attracted investments worth Rs 23 lakh crore in the last 23 months and reiterated that the govt was committed to rapidly grounding and operationalising industries across the state.
