In a move to facilitate Japanese firms keen to invest in Andhra Pradesh, the Government is planning to set up a separate industrial city in the new State.

This move comes following the recent visit of a delegation headed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and interest shown by several Japanese business houses to invest in the State.

During a meeting with officials from Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Chief Minister discussed on possible areas of support from Andhra Pradesh where JICA officials said they will complete master plan of Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) by March 2015. This is part of the synergy between Asian Development Bank and JICA. JICA financing is likely to bridge critical gaps.

JICA is likely to focus on integrated development especially from Krishnapatnam to Chennai. The Chief Minister was keen to seek JICA assistance in charting out a detailed master plan for the capital beyond core capital region. He felt the Japanese investors could support in the Centre’s Sagarmala project (from Vizag to Kakinada) and develop the State into a logistics hub.

The visiting Japanese officials told the Chief Minister that JICA was keen on supporting development of smart cities and on technology transfer to MSMEs.

The Chief Minister said that collaboration could be worked out through the Joint Task Force. A follow-up visit of the Chief Minister to Japan will be planned shortly. Naidu had taken part in the session on “Future of Japan,” at Davos recently.