Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has invited Emirati companies into the state’s food processing and horticulture sectors, and 12 UAE firms are already showing interest.
The UAE wants to invest more along India’s eastern coast, and Andhra Pradesh is making a strong bid to be first in line.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met the UAE’s Minister of Economy and Tourism, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, in Visakhapatnam. He invited leading Emirati companies to invest in the state’s food processing sector. Al Marri is in the city for the CII Partnership Summit, and the two leaders discussed investment opportunities across several sectors, according to an official release.
Twelve companies already interested
The biggest news from the meeting came from the UAE side. The visiting delegation told the Chief Minister that 12 more UAE-based companies had expressed interest in investing in a proposed food cluster in Andhra Pradesh. The cluster is to be set up by the UAE.
Naidu asked the UAE minister to help speed up a decision on the cluster. He also invited UAE agri-food company Silal to take part in it.
Al Marri said the UAE was keen to invest along India’s eastern coastline and that Andhra Pradesh could become a key destination for Emirati capital.
Rayalaseema: from fruit farms to export hub
The Chief Minister’s pitch centred on Rayalaseema, the state’s southern interior. He pointed out that fruit grown there was already being exported to international markets. He said the government was developing the region into a global horticulture hub, backed by an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore.
Naidu said Andhra Pradesh offered large opportunities across the agri-food value chain, from procuring farm produce to processing it and exporting finished food products.
Shrimp on the table
Trade could also flow the other way. The UAE delegation said it was exploring imports of shrimp and other aquaculture products from Andhra Pradesh. That would give the state’s coastal aquaculture economy a new market in the Gulf.
The two sides also discussed plans to set up the Dubai-based Floormaster industry in Chittoor district.
Beyond food
Naidu did not stop at agriculture. He highlighted investment potential in maritime, aerospace and defence. He urged UAE companies to take advantage of opportunities in these sectors and said the state was ready to work closely with the UAE.
What it means
The meeting shows how Andhra Pradesh is positioning itself: as the UAE’s link to farms, food and aquaculture on India’s eastern coast. The state already has fruit going abroad, a large horticulture plan underway, and a dozen interested Emirati firms. Now it is waiting for a decision on the food cluster. If that cluster goes ahead, Rayalaseema’s orchards could become a regular supplier to the Gulf.