Monday saw the ground-breaking of Andhra Pradesh‘s first greenfield steel plant, Arcelor Mittal. The steel plant worth Rs 1.36 lakh crore will be set up in Rajayyapeta, Anakapalli district.
It is a huge investment for the state and a great employment opportunity for the locals. Like always, it’s the back story that’s interesting.
The story began at Davos. Lokesh approached Aditya Mittal to have a conversation which Mittal had denied. Lokesh shares that he caught up with Mittal at the Tata night camp in Davos and pitched for Andhra Pradesh. But Aditya Mittal told him politely that he was considering other states. Not one to give up, Lokesh persisted and said if there was an option, Mittal must consider investing in AP. It was not confidence, but my conviction, said Lokesh proudly as the plant was inaugurated.
Then the historic zoom call happened. Lokesh spoke for 30 minutes at 8.30 pm on a Sunday evening and the deal was sealed by two young leaders.
Today, the steel plant is a reality and it reflects not just AP’s speed of doing business, but the state’s hunger to catch up with industrialized nation-states and in the process make India proud. After all, who will carry forward the torch of atmanirbhar Bharat, but for two young dreamers. One heading an MNC conglomerate and the other an aspiring leader of a state who believes in making history seem like being just a zoom call away.
.@naralokesh reveals that a single @Zoom call helped secure the largest greenfield steel plant for #AndhraPradesh #NaraLokesh pic.twitter.com/01XYGuEwZ9
— M9 NEWS (@M9News_) March 23, 2026
