#BTDavos2026 | Making Andhra The AI Backbone Of India: Nara Lokesh On Data Centres & Jobs

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh outlines the state’s ambitious push to become a core pillar of India’s AI and digital infrastructure. In conversation with Siddharth Zarabi, Group Editor, Business Today, Lokesh explains how Andhra Pradesh is sequencing reforms to suit local needs while aligning with the Centre’s broader reform agenda. Highlighting massive investments in data centres, including projects backed by global players such as Google, Lokesh says data centres are strategically vital for building India’s AI ecosystem. He reveals Andhra Pradesh’s plan to attract six gigawatts of data centre capacity, with 2.5 GW already locked in and the remaining investments expected within the next 12 months, aiming for execution by 2029. Lokesh also addresses concerns around power and water usage, argues that India must build AI infrastructure domestically, and stresses that job creation remains the single most important outcome of these investments, with a target of two million jobs in five years.