Amaravati, June 18: Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh has extended an invitation to the CTO and founder of a remote sensing satellite company to visit Anantapur. This invitation came after the official posted about the challenges of securing land for a satellite factory on the outskirts of Bengaluru, stating it was more difficult than building the satellite itself.
Kshitij Khandelwal, CTO and founder of Pixel Space, shared on X, “Trying to acquire land for a satellite factory on the outskirts of Bengaluru has proven to be much more challenging than actually building the satellite.”
Minister Lokesh urged Khandelwal to consider Anantapur, highlighting it as a new and attractive location for investors. He stated, “Kshitij, Anantapur is a great place for investors outside Bengaluru.”
He emphasized that Andhra Pradesh is developing a ‘Space City’, an aerospace park, and an industrial ecosystem ready for immediate use. This initiative aims to allow founders to focus on satellite development instead of land acquisition.
The minister also encouraged Khandelwal to connect with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board for further discussions.
Previously, in response to Khandelwal’s post, Karnataka’s Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development, M.B. Patil, mentioned that his office would reach out to him.
This is not the first time Lokesh has sought to attract aerospace companies from Karnataka. Last October, he openly invited aerospace firms to consider Andhra Pradesh after the then Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, announced the cancellation of land acquisition for an aerospace park in Devanahalli due to farmer protests.
Lokesh had tagged a story about the Karnataka government’s decision, stating, “Dear aerospace industry, I was saddened to hear this. I have a better idea for you. Why not consider Andhra Pradesh? We have an attractive aerospace policy with excellent incentives and over 8,000 acres of ready-to-use land just outside Bengaluru. I hope to speak with you face-to-face soon.”
Earlier, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had stirred controversy by offering 10,000 acres of land for potential expansion to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Anantapur district.
Leave a Comment