'If They're Inefficient...': Andhra Minister's Jibe At Karnataka After Getting Google Investment

Last Updated:October 15, 2025, 15:15 IST

Nara Lokesh's remarks came after tech giant Google announced its biggest-ever investment in India — a USD 15 billion project in Visakhapatnam — to build AI infrastructure

When logistics major BlackBuck decided to shift operations from its Bellandur office due to worsening traffic, Lokesh publicly invited the company to relocate to Visakhapatnam. (Photo: News18)

As the political slugfest intensifies between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka over attracting tech investments, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh has asserted that healthy competition among states only strengthens India.

His remarks came after tech giant Google announced its biggest-ever investment in India — a USD 15 billion project in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh — to build Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

Lokesh has been locked in a war of words with Karnataka ministers after repeatedly appealing to companies facing infrastructure challenges in Bengaluru to consider moving operations to Andhra Pradesh.

Taking a veiled swipe at the Karnataka government, Lokesh remarked, “If they are inefficient, what can I do? When their own industrialists are saying that infrastructure is bad, there are severe power cuts; they should first focus on attending to those problems rather than taking me on Twitter. I am not here for a Twitter war; I am here to attract investment for my state."

‘No Traffic Chaos Like Bengaluru Or Pune’: Lokesh Orders Future-Ready Infrastructure For Vizag

Dismissing the notion of political rivalry, Lokesh stressed that inter-state competition benefits the country as a whole. “Yes, we will compete with other states. It’s not a political slugfest. When states compete, India wins. Even yesterday, after the Google announcement, a few IT ministers reached out to the company’s leadership and made their pitch. Competition is good — it pushes us to think out of the box," he noted.

The debate comes amid growing frustration among Bengaluru’s business community over poor urban infrastructure. Entrepreneurs like Biocon’s Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw have been vocal about potholes and traffic congestion plaguing India’s tech capital.

When logistics major BlackBuck decided to shift operations from its Bellandur office due to worsening traffic, Lokesh publicly invited the company to relocate to Visakhapatnam.

Praising Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s vision, credited with transforming Hyderabad into an IT hub, Lokesh added, “There are quite a few double-engine sarkars in the country, but there is only one double-engine bullet train sarkar — and that’s in Andhra Pradesh. Our leadership has vision and clarity. We want to make India proud."

Saurabh Verma

Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

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