Minister for IT and HRD Nara Lokesh (second from right) at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum-2026 in Russia.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh emphasised Andhra Pradesh (A.P.)’s growing importance in global maritime trade and logistics and said the State was positioned to play a strategic role on India’s eastern seaboard and serve as a gateway to the country’s hinterland thereby strengthening economic connectivity between India and Russia.Participating in the New Frontiers in Global Logistics and the Arctic Logistics Framework Dialogue at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum-2026 (SPIEF) on Friday, Mr. Lokesh said the Arctic was emerging as a critical factor in shaping the future of global trade, energy security, and resource transportation and that countries like India were diversifying their energy sources, strengthening electronics manufacturing and securing access to critical minerals. He stressed that these developments open significant avenues for collaboration between the two countries. Highlighting A.P.’s maritime strengths, Mr. Lokesh said the State has a nearly 1,000 kilometre-long-coastline, six operational ports and has several more ports under development and underlined the need to explore new maritime routes and build resilient supply chains in light of recent geopolitical challenges. He said the Arctic shipping routes were increasingly becoming important because they help in reducing cargo transit times and creating resilient logistics networks. Further, the Minister pointed to India’s growing manufacturing ambitions under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative and said while India imports energy resources, it could export manufactured products and create balanced trade opportunities through emerging logistics corridors. He stated that 25% of all investments attracted to India over the last two years have come to A.P., adding that it was poised to become a key player in manufacturing, logistics, and export hub in the years ahead. Investment in aluminium sectorLater, Mr. Lokesh held discussions with senior leadership of RUSAL, one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, on the sidelines of SPIEF. He took stock of the progress of RUSAL’s investment in Pioneer Aluminium Industries, in which the company acquired a 26% stake in March 2025. Located in A.P., Pioneer is operating a 1.50 MTPA alumina refinery that serves both domestic and international markets.He requested RUSAL to consider establishing downstream aluminium smelting capacity alongside the existing alumina refinery, saying that the expansion would enable the conversion of alumina produced in A.P. into primary aluminium, creating substantially higher value addition, employment and export opportunities within India. Besides, the two sides discussed the possibility of developing a fully integrated aluminium manufacturing ecosystem in A.P. by leveraging the State’s industrial infrastructure, deep-water ports, logistics connectivity and growing renewable energy capacity. The company’s senior executives said they would evaluate the proposals discussed during the meeting and explore future opportunities for expanding in the State. Published - June 05, 2026 08:36 pm IST
