The 31st edition of the CII Partnership Summit 2026 is being held in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on November 12-13, bringing together policymakers, international delegates, business leaders and investors to explore opportunities in trade, technology and economic cooperation.
Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and hosted by the Andhra Pradesh government, the summit is being held under the theme, “Navigating the New World Order: Trade | Technology | Trust | Thought Leadership”.
The inaugural session was attended by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Konidala Pawan Kalyan. State Minister for Human Resources Development and IT, Electronics and Communications Nara Lokesh also addressed the gathering.
Other dignitaries included Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Heavy Industries Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, Andhra Pradesh Industries and Food Processing Minister T.G. Bharath, and senior officials from the Centre and the state government. Industry representatives included Sagar Defence Founder and CEO Capt. Nikunj Parashar and CII President and Tata Chemicals Managing Director and CEO R. Mukundan.
The two-day summit is focusing on international trade, global value chains, resilient supply chains, advanced manufacturing, defence technology, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, smart manufacturing, green energy, future mobility and other emerging technologies. Discussions are aimed at strengthening international partnerships, attracting investments and positioning India as a competitive destination for global manufacturing and innovation.
NICDC Showcases Industrial Investment Opportunities in Andhra Pradesh
During the summit, Goyal and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu visited the pavilion of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC), where its CEO and Managing Director, Rajat Kumar Saini, briefed them on the progress of three Greenfield Industrial Smart City projects in Andhra Pradesh — Krishnapatnam, Orvakal and Kopparthy.
The pavilion showcased India’s industrial infrastructure initiatives and investment opportunities, including Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities, the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA), the Industrial Corridor Land Platform (ICLP) and Koyla Shakti, a Smart Coal Analytics Dashboard. The ICLP enables investors to identify and compare verified industrial land opportunities across the country. A 360-degree virtual reality tour of NICDC’s industrial corridor projects was also presented.
During the interaction, Goyal highlighted the BHAVYA scheme, while Chandrababu Naidu drew attention to the proposed Orvakal Drone City and its potential to strengthen the state’s aerospace and drone manufacturing ecosystem.
The three industrial nodes in Andhra Pradesh together cover a project area of 7,717 acres, with an estimated investment potential of Rs 31,360 crore and the capacity to generate two lakh jobs, according to the NICDC. The projects are being developed under different industrial corridors as integrated industrial ecosystems supported by infrastructure and connectivity.
Their development is aimed at attracting large-scale investments, expanding manufacturing capabilities, creating employment and accelerating industrial growth in the state. NICDC used the pavilion to highlight opportunities across manufacturing and emerging sectors, pitching Andhra Pradesh as an investment destination with the message: “Invest in India. Make Andhra Pradesh Your New Address.”
India-Japan Industrial Cooperation in Focus
Japan’s Ambassador to India, Keiichi Ono, highlighted the growing economic partnership between the two countries, noting that 31 Japanese companies operating across three cities in Andhra Pradesh had generated more than 8,000 local jobs. He identified steel, pharmaceuticals, clean energy and semiconductors as key areas for further collaboration.
Andhra Pradesh Industries and Commerce Minister T.G. Bharath outlined the state’s industrial infrastructure, strategic ports, sectoral opportunities and efforts to translate investment commitments into projects on the ground.
In his opening remarks, NICDC CEO and Managing Director Rajat Kumar Saini identified five priority areas for deeper cooperation: manufacturing and industrial corridor development, resilient supply chains, advanced technologies, sustainable industrial development, and partnerships involving micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and skill development.
He stressed the need to convert investment opportunities into actionable partnerships and referred to Japan’s commitment to facilitate investments worth 10 trillion yen in India over the next decade.
Saini also briefed the participants on the progress of the three industrial nodes. Krishnapatnam has achieved more than 50 per cent completion, while Orvakal is around 30 per cent complete and Kopparthy approximately 12 per cent complete. The updates highlighted ongoing infrastructure development and efforts to establish investment-ready industrial destinations in the state.
Director General of JETRO Chennai Kiyotaka Doho said Japanese companies were showing growing interest in India and Andhra Pradesh, with more than 80 per cent of surveyed companies planning to expand their operations.
Isuzu Motors India President and Managing Director Rajesh Mittal highlighted the importance of Japanese manufacturing practices, quality standards, skill development and the development of local supplier networks. Presentations by Proterial India and Nittan India also outlined opportunities for industrial collaboration.
NICDC is developing Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities across various industrial corridors to strengthen India’s manufacturing ecosystem, improve logistics efficiency and create investment-ready industrial destinations. Its initiatives seek to attract domestic and international investment, generate employment and integrate Indian industries with global value chains.
The corporation’s participation in the summit provided an opportunity to showcase the progress of industrial corridor projects, engage with international stakeholders and highlight investment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh. These efforts are aligned with the government’s vision of strengthening domestic manufacturing and achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047.
NICDC, under DPIIT in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is mandated to develop world-class Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities across the country. Through integrated industrial infrastructure and digital initiatives, it aims to enhance manufacturing competitiveness, attract investment and promote sustainable economic development.
-PIB
