Lokesh meets Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in US, seeks support for advancing IT in Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh on Tuesday said he met with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and expressed desire for collaborative efforts to drive digital transformation and opportunities in the state.

Lokesh, who is currently touring the USA, in a social media post said he also sought the tech giant’s guidance and support in advancing IT in the state.

"Had an insightful meeting with @satyanadella, CEO of @Microsoft. Sought his valuable guidance and support in advancing IT, AI, and skill development in Andhra Pradesh. Looking forward to collaborative efforts to drive digital transformation and opportunities in the state," Lokesh said in the post.

Lokesh will participate in the ITServe Alliance Synergy Conference to be held in LAs Vegas on October 29 and unveil the idol of former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao in Atlanta, USA on October 31.

He visited Tesla headquarters on Monday and met with its Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja in Austin and pitched Anantapur District as the perfect spot for its electric vehicles and battery units.

`Become partner in smart governance’: Nara Lokesh invites Adobe CEO to set up R&D facility in Andhra

Lokesh has asked the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Adobe to set up its research and development (R&D) facility in Andhra Pradesh to become partner in smart governance and Artificial Intelligence-driven solutions in the state.

Lokesh's US visit is aimed at attracting investments to the State and as part of his mission, he had a meeting with the Adobe CEO, Santanu Narayen in San Francisco during which Lokesh asked the Adobe CEO to extend the company's cooperation to sharpen the digital technology skills among the youth.

"The state government, with the vision of the Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, is adopting investor-friendly policy and the State is the right place for investments," Lokesh told Santanu Narayen.

Narayen said that the Adobe company is now on the top in digital media and cloud-based services while the company has brought Photoshop, Acrobat, and allied services more accessible. He also said that all the updated versions of document productivity and AI-based innovations are made available from time to time and the company has a market cap of Rs 17.95 lakh crore across the globe.

Appreciating the efforts of the company, Lokesh said that it perfectly suits the digital transformation vision of Andhra Pradesh and sought the cooperation of Adobe to transform the state into a global tech hub. Narayen said that a decision will soon be taken on investments in the State after holding discussions with company partners.