Nara Lokesh, Minister of Information technology, Electronics and communications, Real-time governance, and Human resources development for Andhra Pradesh state in India, speaks in an interview with The Korea Herald on Friday. (Yoon Chang-bin/The Korea Herald) Andhra Pradesh offers unique advantages as a gateway to India with its 3S model of speed, stability and service, as South Korean companies shift beyond China, says the state's minister for information technology, electronics and communications, real-time governance, and human resources development.In an interview with The Korea Herald during his visit to Seoul, Nara Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh wants to become South Korea's preferred gateway to India by building entire manufacturing ecosystems rather than competing for standalone manufacturing projects.The strategy underscores South Korea's industrial development model, where dense supplier networks helped companies such as Hyundai, Samsung and LG achieve scale, lower costs and boost export competitiveness.Korean counterparts nicknamed Lokesh the "Palli Palli Minister," pointing to the culture of speed and execution he hopes to emulate."Palli Palli: Move quickly, act decisively, build without delay. That spirit inspires young leaders like me," says the minister.The nickname reveals a cultural connection: speed of execution has long been associated with South Korea's rapid industrialization, and the minister used the phrase as shorthand for Andhra Pradesh's investment pitch in his visit to South Korea."We have not come merely to sign MOUs. We have come to build long-term partnerships," he stressed.South Korea is already among India's largest investors, with companies including Hyundai, Kia, Samsung, LG and POSCO expanding manufacturing in India.According to Lokesh, the Andhra Pradesh-Korea partnership has evolved from automobiles to electronics and advanced manufacturing, with the next phase focused on semiconductors, shipbuilding, AI and clean energy."We already have a strong foundation," Lokesh said, citing investments by Kia, LG Electronics, LG Chem and Youngone over the past decade.Calling Kia the first chapter and LG the next, he said Andhra Pradesh now wants many more Korean companies. Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh's minister for information technology, electronics and communications, real-time governance, and human resources development, poses for a photograph in a Kia vehicle during a visit to Kia headquarters in Seoul on Thursday. (Embassy of India in Seoul) Cutting bureaucracyAsked about Korean investors' perception of India as a market weighed down by bureaucracy and self-styled intermediaries claiming privileged access through personal networks, caste ties or elite connections, Lokesh acknowledged that India's federal system can appear daunting to foreign businesses.To counter that perception, he said Andhra Pradesh has placed its Economic Development Board at the center of its investment strategy. The board, he explains, functions as a single-window agency, guiding companies through incorporation, regulatory approvals, tax compliance and project execution."Once a company shakes hands with us, it becomes our project," said Lokesh.Delays in land acquisition, regulatory approvals and administrative coordination have historically been among the biggest challenges facing manufacturing projects in India. Andhra Pradesh is trying to differentiate itself by promising faster implementation rather than larger subsidies.“It’s not incentives, land and goodbye. We are partners in growth,” he added, rejecting the idea that foreign companies need fixers or political go-betweens to enter the market.“We encourage companies to approach us directly. There is no place for middlemen.”Provincial diplomacyLokesh said Andhra Pradesh plans to establish a dedicated Korea Desk to institutionalize engagement with Korean businesses while deepening cooperation between Korean provinces and Indian states.He described South Korea as central to the state's 22 industrial clusters and said Andhra Pradesh is targeting entire shipbuilding ecosystems, not just anchor companies. "Shipbuilding isn't one company.It's another 360 companies that build the ship," he said, adding that the state already has a ready-built port for shipbuilding investment.Calling India "a market no Korean entrepreneur should miss," Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh sees South Korea as complementing Singapore's long-standing development role by bringing advanced manufacturing expertise.K-content and TollywoodMeanwhile, Lokesh also called for stronger cultural cooperation through exchanges between Korea's creative industries and India's Telugu creative industriesFollowing the success of "Naatu Naatu," he said Korean audiences had become increasingly familiar with Telugu cinema."Many Koreans realized there is also Tollywood," he said, calling for continued media initiatives and cultural exchanges to build on that momentum.He argued that cooperation in the film, media, and cultural industries should move beyond one-off exchanges to sustained co-productions and institutional partnerships."Content can't be hit-and-miss. It has to become institutionalized." Nara Lokesh, Minister of Information technology, Electronics and communications, Real-time governance, and Human resources development for Andhra Pradesh state in India speaks with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Friday.(Yoon Chang-bin/The Korea Herald) Who is Nara Lokesh?Nara Lokesh is Andhra Pradesh's minister for information technology, electronics and communications, real-time governance, and human resources development, and also serves as the national working president of the Telugu Desam Party. Educated at Stanford University, where he earned an MBA, he is regarded as one of India's rising political leaders. He has spearheaded efforts to position Andhra Pradesh as a technology and manufacturing hub. During a July 5-11 visit to South Korea, Lokesh met senior government officials and executives from major Korean companies, including Kia, Hyundai Mobis, LG Electronics and LG Chem, while leading an investment roadshow aimed at expanding Korea-Andhra Pradesh economic ties.