Published Feb 02, 2026 | 11:47 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 02, 2026 | 11:47 AM
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu. (X/ncbn)
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu described the Union Budget as “well-balanced and forward-looking”. He said the Budget would help India sustain its growth momentum and move closer to its goal of becoming the world’s third-largest economy, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday, 1 February, described the Union Budget as “well-balanced and forward-looking”, stating that it was aimed at fulfilling the aspirations of a fast-growing Indian economy while focusing on self-reliance and inclusive development.
Reacting to the Budget, the chief minister said it laid strong emphasis on strengthening the manufacturing sector, improving ease of doing business, and empowering women, farmers, youth and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He said the Budget provided both “direction and velocity” to India’s economic growth.
Speaking to reporters in Kuppam, Naidu said the Budget would help India sustain its growth momentum and move closer to its goal of becoming the world’s third-largest economy, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He congratulated the Prime Minister and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting a Budget that balances short-term needs with medium- and long-term sustainability.
The chief minister said wealth creation formed the core of the Budget and would ultimately lead to improved living standards. He noted that India had already emerged as a global leader in technology and said the Budget would support the next phase of reforms in areas such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing.
Naidu said Andhra Pradesh would benefit significantly from the proposed three high-speed rail corridors, including the Hyderabad–Bengaluru and Hyderabad–Chennai routes. Tirupati and Amaravati would be covered under these corridors, while Palamaneru and Chittoor would benefit from the Bengaluru–Chennai high-speed rail link.
Referring to the dedicated rare earth corridor announced in the Budget, the chief minister said Andhra Pradesh was well placed to gain due to its rich beach sand reserves and availability of strategic minerals essential for defence, atomic energy and solar panel manufacturing.
He also welcomed the allocation of ₹40,000 crore for semiconductor development, calling it a major boost to critical electronics and advanced manufacturing.
Naidu said the Budget’s focus on the textiles sector would benefit Andhra Pradesh, which has abundant cotton cultivation. He added that priority given to tourism and hospitality would help regions such as Araku, which has immense potential as a global tourism destination. He also said Pulicat Lake, famous for its annual flamingo festival, would be developed into a premier eco-tourism hub.
Welcoming tax incentives for data centres up to 2047, the chief minister said India was on course to emerge as a global data centre hub. He pointed to the Google data centre coming up in Visakhapatnam and said artificial intelligence (AI) would be a game-changer in the coming years. He announced that an AI university and multiple AI learning centres would be established in the state.
Naidu said the Budget’s reference to the East Coast Corridor would transform the eastern seaboard into a major logistics hub, facilitating coastal cargo movement, inland waterways and freight corridors.
He said several ports in Andhra Pradesh would benefit, serving the logistics needs of neighbouring states such as Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. He also reiterated the need for an East–West Corridor to further strengthen logistics infrastructure.
Naidu said allocations for city agglomerations and growth centres would benefit the Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Amaravati economic regions. The logistics sector would also gain from the emphasis on container manufacturing, which he said was critical for improving supply chain efficiency.
The Budget, he said, prioritised next-generation services, including deep-tech hubs, and provided support for AYUSH and naturopathy. Stressing the need for integrated healthcare, Naidu said the Sanjeevani health project, being implemented as a pilot in Kuppam, showed that Andhra Pradesh was already at an advanced stage in healthcare delivery.
Welcoming the 75 percent credit guarantee announced for MSMEs, the chief minister said the Andhra Pradesh government was already providing a 20 percent credit guarantee to support entrepreneurs.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
