Rushikonda Emerges as India’s Next IT Powerhouse
Rushikonda, long celebrated for its scenic beaches, is quickly transforming into a major IT hub. The area is now drawing comparisons with Cyberabad thanks to significant tech investments.
Leading companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS), and Infosys are establishing operations in the region. TCS and CTS have secured land at nominal rates to build permanent software development centers. Millennium Tower is being upgraded to host temporary operations, with TCS expected to begin within a month, IT, Electronics, and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh confirmed.
Accenture has expressed interest in opening a campus, while Infosys, currently operating from leased premises, is negotiating land acquisition.
Rushikonda’s industrial scene is also attracting massive projects. NTPC Green Energy Limited is developing India’s first Green Hydrogen Hub. ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel are building a Rs 1.5 lakh crore multi-phase greenfield steel plant. Google, Adani, and Bharti Airtel are collaborating on a $15 billion AI data center. Brookfield’s $12 billion green initiative is adding further momentum.
The Rushikonda IT Special Economic Zone, created nearly 20 years ago, initially struggled to attract investors. Infrastructure gaps, including limited bandwidth, transport challenges, and inadequate amenities, slowed growth. Today, the area is buzzing again, with multiple high-end residential projects under construction.
“Like humans, cities have personalities that define them,” said Murali Manohar Rao Bulusu, Director at Sankhya Technologies Private Limited. “Visakhapatnam, nestled between lush hills and the sea, has a character that attracts visionary enterprises.”
The Rushikonda IT Park, conceived in 2004–05, followed a unique approach. “Unlike most industrial parks, where promoters develop the park, here the land was allotted directly to industries,” Bulusu explained. The Vizag Urban Development Authority, in partnership with APIIC and EPDCL, built roads, electrical lines, and stormwater drains. Tech units funded the infrastructure, creating one of India’s most visually appealing IT parks.