Vijayawada: In a significant move to establish Andhra Pradesh as a global hub for innovation and sustainable development, the state government partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to launch ‘WEF-AP Centre for Energy and Cyber Resilience’ in Amaravati. This initiative aligns with the government’s ambitious ‘Swarna Andhra Vision 2047’.
A Government Order issued on Thursday formalized the establishment of this centre, which will operate under the WEF’s global Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network. Notably, it will be India’s first thematic C4IR centre and will focus on two critical areas: energy transition and green industries in collaboration with WEF’s Centre for Energy and Materials (CENMAT) and AI-led digital transformation and cyber security, in partnership with WEF’s Centre for Cyber Security.
This initiative stems from high-level meetings with the WEF in Davos and is poised to position Amaravati as India’s leading center for green energy, sustainability, and cyber security.
The project is being spearheaded by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and IT Minister Nara Lokesh, with the overarching goal of enhancing AP’s international profile and attracting significant investments in clean energy, Artificial Intelligence, and digital infrastructure.
The centre’s key objectives include elevating AP’s global standing, fostering international partnerships, supporting the growth of green industries, enhancing cyber security capabilities, and running pilot projects in clean energy, smart grids, and the application of AI in sectors such as agriculture and governance. Furthermore, it aims at upskilling the workforce in cyber security and emerging technologies and connecting the state with prominent global platforms like the WEF’s annual meeting at Davos.
The state government has allocated Rs 36 crore to support the Centre’s operations for three years. It will initially function from Vijayawada or Amaravati and will be governed by a high-level committee chaired by IT Minister Nara Lokesh.
