Vizag poised to become global data city, says Saikanth Varma

Visakhapatnam: CEO of Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board CM Saikanth Varma said Visakhapatnam is poised to become a global data city in its true sense.
Delivering a keynote address at the annual meeting here on Friday, Saikanth Varma highlighted Visakhapatnam's rapid emergence as a national hub for AI computing and digital connectivity. This is supported by planned gigawatt-scale AI data centres, an upcoming AI Hub (2026-2030), and new subsea cable landings strengthening its position along India's eastern coast. Progressive policies such as Data Centre Policy 4.0, IT & GCC Policy 4.0, and the Clean Energy Policy are attracting investments from global majors like Google, ArcelorMittal, and and Cognizant.

Varma emphasised that digital infrastructure must be treated as core city infrastructure, akin to water, roads, and electricity, if Visakhapatnam is to evolve into a trillion-dollar regional economy. He underscored the importance of evaluating modern cities based on governance effectiveness, economic viability, investor confidence, quality of life, sustainability, and climate resilience.

NITI Aayog has identified Visakhapatnam as one of India's four key economic growth hubs. With the region contributing nearly 30% to Andhra Pradesh's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), Varma stated that Visakhapatnam must aim to become a trillion-dollar economy to support the state's $2.4 trillion vision by 2047.

He outlined seven growth drivers for the region, including port-centric manufacturing from Visakhapatnam to Kakinada, the upcoming Bhogapuram International Airport, which will support MRO, cargo, and logistics industries, advanced digital and data infrastructure, aquaculture and food processing, coastal and corporate tourism, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, including medical tourism, and integrated urban development with metro connectivity.

He further emphasised the need for a unified digital infrastructure stack, encompassing land, clean energy, compute, data systems, digital platforms, and cybersecurity, managed through shared KPIs rather than siloed projects.

K. Manohar Raja, Principal Executive Director (Southern Region), RailTel Corporation of India Ltd, highlighted the importance of ports, airports, highways, railways, and logistics functioning as a cohesive ecosystem to reduce costs and enhance export competitiveness. He underscored the need for anticipatory and strategically aligned infrastructure development to meet future economic needs.

G. Murali Krishna, Chairman, CII Andhra Pradesh, recognised Visakhapatnam's pivotal position. He emphasised the need for synchronised development of physical infrastructure and the knowledge economy to position the city as a gateway for trade, technology, and high-value employment, reinforcing its role as a leading growth engine for Andhra Pradesh.

The session concluded with a strong call for coordinated action between the government and industry to drive integrated, innovation-led, and sustainable economic transformation for the Visakhapatnam region.