Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) presented a detailed account of the State’s financial position and the performance of the NDA government during its first two years in office, saying the administration had restored investor confidence and placed the economy back on a growth path.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, Mr. Naidu alleged that the period between 2019 and 2024 had been marked by economic decline, administrative deterioration and a loss of investor confidence. He said Andhra Pradesh had faced enormous challenges following the bifurcation of the erstwhile State in 2014, including the loss of Hyderabad as its capital, an imbalance in the distribution of resources and inadequate industrial infrastructure.
According to the Chief Minister, the government released seven white papers soon after assuming office and subsequently published progress reports on sectors such as energy, Amaravati and water resources.
Mr. Naidu said Andhra Pradesh had recorded a gross State domestic product (GSDP) growth rate of 11.3% during the 2024-26 period, compared with 10.7% in Telangana. He said the State’s growth rate had stood at 13.5% between 2014 and 2019 before declining to 10.3% between 2019 and 2024.
He said that, had the earlier growth trajectory continued, Andhra Pradesh would have generated an additional ₹6.94 lakh crore in GSDP and ₹76,195 crore in revenue. He added that the gap in per capita income between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had widened from ₹55,817 in 2018-19 to ₹1,06,854 in 2023-24. Andhra Pradesh’s per capita income stood at ₹2,94,507 in 2025-26, he said.
The Chief Minister attributed the improvement in economic indicators to increased public investment, infrastructure development and investor-friendly policies. He said the government had resumed the reconstruction of Amaravati, speeded up work on the Polavaram irrigation project and promoted investments in sectors such as information technology, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, steel and irrigation infrastructure.
Describing the Bhogapuram International Airport as a major catalyst for regional growth, Mr. Naidu said the project would strengthen connectivity and attract investments in ports, industries and data centres in north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Referring to achievements during his earlier tenure between 2014 and 2019, he cited the construction of the Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme, progress in the Polavaram project, the expansion of airports and ports and the development of industrial corridors linking Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Bengaluru. He also referred to investments made by companies including Kia Corporation, Isuzu Motors, Asian Paints and Foxconn.
Mr. Naidu alleged that the previous government had halted work on Amaravati, weakened the power sector by cancelling power purchase agreements and increased the State’s debt burden. According to him, the decisions had imposed an additional burden of ₹32,000 crore on the exchequer.
The Chief Minister said the government had substantially increased capital expenditure, allocating ₹10,000 crore for Amaravati, ₹8,300 crore for the Polavaram project, ₹5,437 crore for ports, ₹1,142 crore for the Jal Jeevan Mission, ₹2,302 crore for airports and ₹3,439 crore for road infrastructure projects.
He added that the Centre had sanctioned ₹38,800 crore for national highway projects and ₹64,417 crore for railway projects in the State.
Mr. Naidu also outlined welfare measures aimed at improving educational and economic opportunities for women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and minority communities. He said the government had set a target of creating five lakh women entrepreneurs during the 2026-27 financial year and earmarked ₹2,246 crore to support the programme. Women’s self-help groups had secured loans worth ₹43,219 crore through banks, he added.
The Chief Minister said the government was providing coaching for economically weaker students preparing for competitive examinations such as the IIT entrance tests, NEET and the UPSC examinations. He said the government was committed to combining welfare measures with sustained economic growth to ensure balanced development across the State.
Published – August 04, 2026 04:38 pm IST
