Lokesh Pitches Education-Industry Integration for AP’s Global Edge

Andhra Pradesh IT, Electronics and Education Minister Nara Lokesh on Friday said the State is working to build a globally competitive ecosystem by integrating education, industry, and research.

Speaking at the Digi100x Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Leadership Summit in Visakhapatnam, he said the government is developing 22 world-class industrial clusters and urged educational institutions to align their curricula with industry-specific needs.

Lokesh said higher education institutions must play a key role in skill development, research and innovation. He stressed that each institution should evolve into a specialised centre aligned with industry requirements and emerging technologies.

Explaining the cluster model, he said sectors such as mobile manufacturing would integrate the entire supply chain, including components like displays, batteries, cameras and casings, within unified industrial ecosystems. He added that the success of these clusters would depend on a skilled talent pool.

The Minister also outlined plans to develop a value-added industrial ecosystem in Srikakulam using North Andhra’s rare earth mineral reserves. He said the State aims to move beyond raw mineral exports and instead build a complete manufacturing value chain within Andhra Pradesh.

He called on universities and research institutions to establish dedicated centres for rare earth studies, noting that institutions such as Andhra University are well-positioned to lead in this area. He added that the government is adopting global best practices and positioning itself as a bridge between industry and education.

The summit brought together senior academicians, industry leaders and education administrators to discuss collaboration, governance challenges and opportunities for institutional growth.