Andhra Pradesh, UK discuss sustainable infrastructure ties

The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday held discussions with a visiting United Kingdom delegation to explore cooperation in energy, urban mobility and sustainable infrastructure, with a focus on attracting investments and advanced technologies to the State.

The meeting was held at the Secretariat in Amaravati and chaired by S. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department.

The UK delegation included Chaz Walia, Partnerships Director, Department of Business & Trade, and Gareth Wynn Owen, Deputy High Commissioner at the British Deputy High Commission, Hyderabad, along with two specialists.

Senior officials, including the Commissioner of CRDA, Managing Director of AGICL, Chairman and Managing Director of APADCL, and Additional Commissioners of CRDA, attended the meeting.

According to officials, the discussions covered power generation and transmission, green mobility, sustainable urban transport systems, riverfront development and sports infrastructure. Both sides also discussed district cooling systems aimed at improving energy efficiency in urban areas.

Financing models for large infrastructure projects also came up for discussion. The UK delegation explained different funding mechanisms and stressed the role of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models in mobilising private investment.

The State government said it was working on building a pipeline of sustainable infrastructure projects to attract global investors and technology partners.

Tourism and knowledge-sharing partnerships were also discussed during the meeting, with both sides agreeing to strengthen institutional cooperation and exchange expertise.

Suresh Kumar said Andhra Pradesh was keen on building international partnerships to support urban development, improve infrastructure and strengthen public services. Officials said follow-up meetings would be held to take forward the proposals discussed during the interaction.