- KR Bharat
- 2025-12-16
Andhra Pradesh Seeks Centre’s Support for AI-Powered Skill Census
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, IT and Electronics, Nara Lokesh, has sought the Centre’s support to roll out an AI-powered Skill Census across the state.
Lokesh met Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, at Parliament in New Delhi on Monday and briefed him on the pilot project conducted in Mangalagiri. He highlighted the introduction of an AI-based interview mechanism to address challenges encountered during the pilot phase. According to an official release, the Union Minister responded positively to the request for central assistance.
The Andhra Pradesh Minister also sought the Centre’s backing for strengthening startup and innovation hubs, setting up AVGC-XR Centres of Excellence, and expanding the IndiaAI Mission in the state.
The meeting followed Lokesh’s recently concluded visit to the United States, during which he held high-level discussions with global technology leaders, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, NVIDIA, Adobe, and several other major American technology companies.
During the US visit, Lokesh showcased Andhra Pradesh as a fast-emerging hub for technology, innovation, and advanced manufacturing, drawing strong interest in Global Capability Centres (GCCs), R&D facilities, and electronics manufacturing investments.
Briefing Ashwini Vaishnaw on the outcomes of the US outreach, Lokesh highlighted opportunities for collaboration in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, electronics manufacturing, digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies, positioning Andhra Pradesh as a key beneficiary.
Emphasising the state’s startup and innovation push, Lokesh urged the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s Startup Hub to extend support to the proposed Ratan Tata Innovation Hub, envisioned as a major platform for young entrepreneurs.
He also sought cooperation for setting up Centres of Excellence under the AVGC-XR and WAVEX frameworks, focusing on animation, AR/VR, InnoXR, and immersive technologies. Additionally, Lokesh requested support under the IndiaAI Mission to accelerate AI adoption across governance, education, skilling, and industry-driven innovation in Andhra Pradesh.
