AP invites HD Korea Shipbuilding to set up marine cluster

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh IT, electronics and education minister Nara Lokesh has invited HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KOSE) to establish a shipbuilding and marine engineering cluster in Andhra Pradesh, pitching the state as South Korea’s preferred manufacturing and logistics gateway into India.As part of his South Korea tour, Lokesh met HD KOSE Global Business Director Kwon Younghoon and senior company officials in Seoul and showcased investment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh’s maritime sector. He highlighted the state’s nearly 1,000-km coastline, deep-water ports, logistics infrastructure, industrial ecosystem and investor-friendly policies.Lokesh invited the Hyundai group company to undertake a detailed assessment of multiple locations in Andhra Pradesh for establishing a shipbuilding and marine engineering facility. He said the state govt was prepared to identify suitable sites and provide support based on the company’s technical and commercial requirements. He also invited the company’s leadership to visit Andhra Pradesh and meet chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.The minister said Andhra Pradesh emerged as one of India’s leading investment destinations and cited investments by Kia Motors, LG Electronics, Google, ArcelorMittal and other global companies as evidence of investor confidence in the state. He said nearly 25% of investments attracted into India were currently flowing into Andhra Pradesh.Later, addressing a roadshow organised in Seoul ahead of the 31st CII Partnership Summit, Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh and South Korea were entering a new phase of economic cooperation centred on semiconductors, electronics, shipbuilding, clean energy, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.

He described Kia Motors’ decision to establish its manufacturing facility in Anantapur as the beginning of Andhra Pradesh’s industrial partnership with South Korea. The investment, he said, helped create one of India’s largest Korean automotive ecosystems. He said LG Electronics’ ongoing investment in Sri City marked the next phase of collaboration and that the state was now looking to expand cooperation into sectors such as semiconductors, shipbuilding, EV components, marine equipment and electronics manufacturing.Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh’s strengths include its $190 billion economy, ports, industrial corridors, skilled workforce, competitive land costs and reliable power infrastructure. He reiterated that the state’s investment model was built around “3S” — Speed, Stability and Service — and said the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board works closely with investors from project conception to expansion.Inviting Korean firms to participate in the state’s growth story, Lokesh said the first chapter of AP-Korea cooperation was written through automobiles, the second through electronics, and the third would be built around semiconductors, shipbuilding, AI, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.He also invited Korean industry leaders to participate in the CII Partnership Summit scheduled to be held in Andhra Pradesh in Nov.