Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday laid the foundation for a Rs 5,400-crore ReNew solar manufacturing facility here.
The 6 GW solar ingot and wafer manufacturing unit at Rambilli in Anakapalli district is expected to be a key step toward building a resilient domestic solar supply chain, an official press release said earlier.
Addressing a public meeting, he said, "Anakapalli district is attracting development through big-ticket investments. It will reach the top position in investments in India ReNew is setting up a 6.5 GW ingot solar wafer plant at an investment of Rs 5,400 crore." According to the CM, the solar manufacturing unit is being established by the son of former Union Minister Yashwanth Sinha and Sumanth Sinha.
By manufacturing critical upstream components such as ingots and wafers, the facility is expected to significantly reduce reliance on imports and strengthen India's energy security.
The facility is expected to be commissioned within 24 months and generate over 2,100 direct and indirect jobs, further boosting industrial growth and employment in the region.
Emphasising the importance of electricity usage, Naidu said it is one of the key yardsticks to evaluate development, indicating that the higher the use, the more the development.
Further, he said the southern state is attracting investments pertaining to power-generating plants on a large-scale.
During the CII Partnership summit, the CM said ReNew came forward to invest thousands of crores of rupees in the state, and Sinha came forward to invest Rs 82,000 crore.
The company will soon start renewable energy works worth Rs 10,370 crore in Anantapur and Kurnool districts, and it is also poised to set up a 777 MW wind and solar facility in Anantapur, he added.
Meanwhile, IT Minister Nara Lokesh welcomed the groundbreaking of the ReNew facility, describing it as a key step in positioning the state as the 'silicon coast of India'.
"The project signalled Andhra Pradesh's intent to move beyond renewable energy deployment into high-value manufacturing, particularly in critical segments such as wafers and ingots," said Lokesh in a post on X.
According to the IT Minister, the state government under Naidu had identified this gap early and prioritised backward integration in the renewable energy sector.
The broader strategy, he added, includes building domestic manufacturing capabilities across electronics, semiconductors and clean energy.
Noting that the Centre has set a target of producing 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030, Naidu said the state will contribute 160 GW, attracting investments of up to Rs 10 lakh crore and creating 7.5 lakh jobs.
Already, the state has sanctioned and inked deals for 90 GW.
Naidu urged every house to become a power-generating centre through solar power units, saying the government is targeting setting up solar power units on 40 lakh houses.
By utilising power at the place of generation itself, he said, transmission losses can be averted.
Stressing the need to introduce electric vehicles to curb pollution, he said all Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses will be electric vehicles in the future.
In three years' time, Naidu said 5,000 charging stations will be installed across the state. Further, he said Bhogapuram Airport will be inaugurated in the first week of July, which could be opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
With the onset of the monsoon season in 2026, Naidu said Godavari River water will be channelled to the Anakapalli region through the Sujala Sravanthi project.
In the past 22 months, he said 802 deals were inked, which will generate 24 lakh jobs, said the CM.
Naidu asserted that the government is living up to the poll promise of not hiking power tariff and accused the erstwhile YSRCP government of destroying the sector between 2019 and 2024.
Moreover, the CM promised to complete the Polavaram Project before Godavari Pushkaralu, a Kumbh Mela-like pilgrimage, among other initiatives.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.