The Central Government has delivered a major blow to the Chandrababu Naidu led government’s claims that Andhra Pradesh has attracted investments worth lakhs of crores of rupees and that a large number of industries are being established across the state.
The Union Government has revealed that there is a significant gap between the investment figures being publicized by the TDP-led government and the actual figures on the ground. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, only 10 investment proposals tracked by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Invest India have actually been grounded in Andhra Pradesh during the last two years.
Only 10 Projects Grounded in Two Years
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada gave a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday to a question raised by YSRCP MP P.V. Mithun Reddy.
The Central Government stated that of the 10 projects grounded in Andhra Pradesh, construction of manufacturing facilities has been completed in only two projects. The remaining eight projects are still under construction.
The total estimated investment in these projects is ₹6,962 crore, and they are expected to generate approximately 22,167 jobs.
However, the Centre clarified that these are only estimated employment opportunities and do not represent jobs that have already been created.
Centre’s Figures Contradict Government’s Investment Claims
The figures revealed by the Centre have raised questions over the massive investment claims being made by the Andhra Pradesh government.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has publicly claimed that investments worth ₹22.87 lakh crore have come to the state and that these investments will generate 21.30 lakh jobs.
However, the Central Government’s written reply indicates that only 10 projects tracked by DPIIT and Invest India have been grounded in the last two years, with a total estimated investment of ₹6,962 crore.
Similarly, Minister Nara Lokesh has repeatedly claimed that Andhra Pradesh is attracting a major share of investments in the country, including the statement that the state is receiving 25 paise out of every rupee invested in India.
The latest figures presented by the Centre have now raised serious questions over the credibility of such claims.
Training Participants Are Not Automatically Entrepreneurs
The Central Government also provided details about the benefits extended to MSMEs and local entrepreneurs through various government schemes.
According to the reply, 10,093 people benefited from 201 skill development and entrepreneurship training programmes during 2024–25. In 2025–26, 32,428 people benefited from 625 such programmes.
However, the reply does not specify how many of these participants actually established new industries, how many received financial assistance, how many MSMEs began production, or how many jobs were created as a result.
Participation in a skill development or entrepreneurship training programme cannot automatically be equated with becoming an entrepreneur or securing employment.
Massive Gap Between Political Claims and Official Data
Overall, the figures presented by the Central Government reveal a significant gap between the Andhra Pradesh government’s claims of massive investments and lakhs of jobs and the actual data available on the ground.
While the state government has been publicising investments worth lakhs of crores and employment generation on a large scale, the Centre’s reply makes it clear that, among the projects tracked by DPIIT and Invest India over the last two years, only two manufacturing facilities have completed construction.
The remaining projects are still in the construction stage, while the investment and employment figures associated with them remain largely estimates.
The Centre’s written reply has therefore triggered a major political debate in Andhra Pradesh. It remains to be seen how the Chandrababu Naidu government will respond to the stark difference between its investment claims and the figures officially presented by the Union Government in Parliament.
