Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, while addressing the 30th edition of the CII Partnership Summit 2025 organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, highlighted India’s emergence as a trusted global partner and commended the immense contribution of Andhra Pradesh toward achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. He emphasized India’s growing leadership in semiconductors, clean energy and innovation-driven industries, underscoring the importance of trust, sustainability and policy stability as the foundation of India’s economic framework.

The event, held under the theme “Technology, Trust & Trade – Navigating the New Geoeconomic Order,” was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, in the presence of the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Syed Abdul Nazeer. Shri Piyush Goyal and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu, delivered the keynote addresses.

Shri Goyal announced the launch of India’s first Drone City at Orvakal in Kurnool district, marking a major milestone in advancing India’s capabilities in next-generation aerospace and unmanned systems. The launch follows the foundation stone laying of the Kopparthy and Orvakal Industrial Nodes by the Prime Minister on 16 October 2025, underscoring the Government’s commitment to fast-paced progress across India’s industrial corridors. Developed in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh, the 300-acre Drone City is expected to generate over 40,000 jobs and will house the world’s largest common drone testing facility. It will serve as a fully integrated ecosystem for manufacturing, testing, research, repairs and development, bringing key components of drone innovation under one unified infrastructure.

NICDC is developing three major Greenfield Industrial Smart City nodes in Andhra Pradesh—Krishnapatnam, Orvakal and Kopparthy—located across different industrial corridors, reinforcing the state’s strategic importance in regional industrial development. These projects support the Make in India vision and offer world-class infrastructure for industries in logistics, aerospace, electronics and advanced manufacturing. The Summit also highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s emerging opportunities in green hydrogen, semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, coastal logistics, defence and drone sectors, positioning the state as a prominent hub for sustainable industrial growth.

Shri Rajat Kumar Saini, CEO & MD of NICDC, participated in a plenary session titled “Next-Gen Industrial Corridors 2.0: Building Smart, Connected Ecosystems for Industry 5.0.” He outlined NICDC’s vision of developing Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities as smart, resilient and sustainable hubs for manufacturing and innovation. He highlighted the integration of digital infrastructure, renewable energy, automation and data-driven governance to create globally competitive industrial ecosystems aligned with the Industry 5.0 vision.

The NICDC pavilion at the Summit recorded strong participation and engagement from global investors, policymakers and industry representatives. It showcased NICDC’s flagship initiatives, including Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities, the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), Logistics Data Bank (LDB), India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) and PM MITRA Parks, illustrating NICDC’s integrated approach to building digital, efficient and sustainable industrial infrastructure. Delegates expressed notable interest in NICDC’s Smart City projects and digital platforms, seeking information on land availability, investment facilitation and collaboration opportunities under the Industrial Smart City development programme.

As the Government of India’s lead programme for industrial infrastructure development, NICDC continues to develop next-generation Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities under the Delhi–Mumbai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Amritsar–Kolkata, East Coast and other industrial corridors. Through advanced infrastructure and digital innovation, NICDC is driving India’s transition toward Industry 5.0, characterized by sustainability, technology integration and inclusive growth.

National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is mandated to develop world-class Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities that enhance manufacturing competitiveness, attract investment and generate employment. NICDC is implementing multiple city projects and digital initiatives such as ULIP, LDB and IILB, supporting India’s industrial and logistics transformation.

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Abhishek Dayal/Shabbir Azad/Anushka Pandey

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