Chandrababu Naidu Announces 'Space City' Near Tirupati For Launch Of Private Satellites

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu unveiled an ambitious vision for the state's technological future, announcing plans for a "Space City" in Tirupati from which private satellites will be launched.

Addressing the International Mediation Conference at the Asian Centre for International Arbitration and Mediation (ACIAM) in Visakhapatnam, the Chief Minister outlined a broad strategy to position Andhra Pradesh as a global hub for technology, from data centres to space exploration.

The policy outlines plans for two dedicated space cities, one in Lepakshi and the other in Tirupati, with the latter focusing on manufacturing satellites and launch logistics due to its proximity to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) at Sriharikota.

This move is part of a broader push by the new state government to accelerate development and leverage its key location to attract high-tech industries.

Drawing a parallel to the American private space sector, Mr Naidu, on the creation of "Space City" near Tirupati, said that "just like America has SpaceX, we will soon launch private satellites from our Space City."

The announcement builds on the state's previously announced "Andhra Pradesh Space Policy 4.0," which aims to attract significant investment and create thousands of jobs in the space sector.

This initiative is designed to capitalize on the growing privatization of the space sector, aligning Andhra Pradesh with global trends and positioning it as a key player in India's burgeoning private space economy.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the state's progress in quantum computing. He said that the first quantum computer in India will be operational in Amaravati by January 1st, making Andhra Pradesh the sixth country to use the technology.

This is part of the state's plan to establish a "Quantum Valley" in Amaravati, an ecosystem designed to serve universities, research bodies, startups, and industries. The government has already partnered with tech giant International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) to install a quantum computer at the Amaravati Quantum Computing Centre.

On the Information Technology (IT) front, Mr Naidu said the state has secured over $100 billion in investment over the past year. He announced that Visakhapatnam, with new projects from tech giants like Google, TCS, and Cognizant, is on track to surpass India's entire existing data 
centre capacity within the next one to two years, solidifying its position as a major data hub.

The Chief Minister's announcements also highlighted the state's strategy to not only attract foreign investment but also to foster a robust, indigenous technology ecosystem that can compete on a global scale.