Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu presented a detailed account of the State’s financial position and the performance of the NDA government during its first two years in office. He stated that the administration had restored investor confidence and placed the economy back on a growth path.
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. 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. Mr. Naidu also mentioned that the public debt-to-GSDP ratio had risen from 28.37% in 2014-19 to 33.83% in 2019-24, and stood at 36.2% now. 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. 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.
The Chief Minister said 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. Mr. Naidu 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.
