Vizag to host global IT conclave in May

Amaravati: Minster for IT and industries Mekapati Goutham Reddy announced that the state government will organise a global IT conclave in Visakhapatnam in the end of May this year in collaboration with NITI Aayog and NASSCOM. He expressed confidence that with a specific focus on advanced technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) Visakhapatnam will be transformed into a technology hub.

The industry leaders interacted with the senior bureaucrats of the state government and deliberated on topics, including skilling, IT and emerging technologies in primary sectors, IT concept cities and infrastructure, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship through start-ups, new global trends emerging from Covid-19 pandemic such as 'work from anywhere', and how to take advantage of the renewed supply chain dynamics globally to make Andhra Pradesh as a hub for Electronics manufacturing at the CXO roundtable in Vijayawada organised by IT, electronics and communication departments.

The conclave saw active participation of 70 industry leaders, entrepreneurs, venture capitals and innovators from both information technology and Electronics manufacturing sectors.

Speaking at the inaugural event, the minister stressed upon the vision of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to ensure efficient last mile delivery of citizen-centric welfare schemes and outlined the critical role of IT platforms in realising this vision.

The minister also underscored the importance for holistic development of the state which encompasses job creation, high-end skill development and enhanced living standards through novel concepts such as leveraging technology in direct benefit transfers, IT concept cities, work from anywhere, connected living, grassroot entrepreneurship among others and invited the technology fraternity to engage with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to finetune its strategy to become India's preferred investment destination and generate employment in the state.

These roundtable discussions involving technology leaders focused on understanding the key measures required to place Andhra Pradesh on the path of becoming a global technology hub. The meet was attended by MLAs Abbaya Chowdary, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and senior officials including Satish Chandra, special chief secretary, higher education department, Poonam Malakondaiah, special chief secretary, agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry, Srilakshmi, special chief secretary, municipal administration and urban development, G Jaya Lakshmi, principal secretary IT, electronics and communications, B Sundar, special chief secretary, IT, E and C and M Nanda Kishore Reddy, Group CEO, Andhra Pradesh Electronics and IT Agency (APEITA).