AP to become logistics paradise

Vijayawada: Maritime Gateway and Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board jointly organised a Logistics Summit with a theme ‘Making Andhra Pradesh a Global Logistic Hub’ here on Thursday.

Addressing the media, V Kalyana Rama, Chairman and Managing Director of the Container Corporation of India, said that with the growth in industry, agriculture and service sector, the State achieved double digit growth rate. However, logistics played a key role in the development.

He said that the State GDP in 2014 was $ 80 billion and in the last four years the GDP grew to 124 billion dollars which is around Rs 9 lakh crore which is about 60 per cent growth in the economy. And the State growth would be on par with the US and Europe by 2029, he added.

He further recalled that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wanted to transform AP as a logistics paradise, and through port-led development the State would progress on all fronts.

He said that at present there are six ports and eight ports were being developed besides there are about six airports and another six airports are being developed. He said that there are about 45,000 km highways and another 20,000 kilometres highways are being developed.

There are about 888 km inland waterways and they are being widened and deepened for transportation. He opined that places which are strong in logistics, transportation and infrastructure development would be fast.

He said that in the last four years the State has received Rs 6,50,000 crore investments. However, till now Rs 1,40,000 crore production has been started besides Rs 4,50,000 crore worth projects were grounded in the last four years.

SP Tucker, former Chief Secretary and K V Satyanarayana, MD of AP State Warehousing Corporation, spoke on the occasion. Later awards were given.