‘Use Andhra Pradesh as your launch pad’: Lokesh asks Russian firms to orbit Sriharikota

Andhra Pradesh has invited Russian abstraction and exertion firms to put successful its emerging abstraction ecosystem and usage the State arsenic their “launch pad”, Information Technology and Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh said astatine the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026.

Taking portion successful the c Business Dialogue astatine the forum connected Thursday (June 4, 2026), Mr. Lokesh showcased the State’s plans successful space, aerospace, semiconductor and precocious manufacturing, and asked Russian companies to go semipermanent partners successful its growth.

Mr. Lokesh said the Satish Dhawan Space Centre astatine Sriharikota was India’s lone operational spaceport and had been the motorboat tract for much than 100 abstraction missions.

He said the State had announced its Space Policy 4.0 and was processing dedicated abstraction cities for research, outer development, motorboat systems and deep-tech innovation. A cardinal portion of this is the Tirupati Space City, planned connected 3,000 acres adjacent Sriharikota.

The metropolis is planned arsenic a hub for motorboat conveyance assembly, outer manufacturing, avionics accumulation and next-generation abstraction technologies. “We aspire to pull adjacent to $4 cardinal of concern into this ecosystem,” helium said, inviting large-scale Russian participation.

Beyond abstraction technology, Mr. Lokesh said, determination were concern opportunities successful energy, semiconductors, microelectronics, quantum computing, precocious healthcare technologies and commodities.

He besides cited the State’s emerging precocious manufacturing corridor successful Sri Sathya Sai district, adjacent Bengaluru, arsenic a destination for aerospace, avionics, drone manufacturing, naval systems and semiconductor industries.

Mr. Lokesh called for deeper collaboration successful future-oriented sectors. “The concern that began with Aryabhata successful 1975 is acceptable for the adjacent orbit. I would petition each of you to usage Andhra Pradesh arsenic your motorboat pad,” helium told the delegates.

He said the India-Russia concern had moved beyond diplomatic symbolism and was present creating concern worth done investments, vigor partnerships and precocious exertion cooperation.

Microelectronics talks

Mr. Lokesh met Element Group’s caput of planetary commercialized projects Anton Zakharov and Nanotronica main enforcement Julia Suhoroslova, successful Moscow. Element Group is 1 of Russia’s starring microelectronics firms and a large shaper of semiconductor components, RFID chips, smart-card modules and concern electronics, accounting for a ample stock of the country’s microelectronics output done a web of plan and manufacturing centres, helium said successful a station connected X connected Thursday.

He invited Element Group to see opportunities successful Andhra Pradesh: RFID and smart-card spot assembly successful Visakhapatnam, powerfulness semiconductor manufacturing successful Nellore, robotics and automation services successful Sri City, and a microelectronics plan centre. As India builds its semiconductor plans, the State was positioning itself arsenic a destination for electronics manufacturing, plan and precocious exertion partnerships, helium said.