RIL Chairman Sh Mukesh D Ambani’s speech at AP Global Investors Summit 2023 in Visakhapatnam
Respected Chief Minister Shri Jagan Mohan Reddy gaaru,
Distinguished dignitaries and Ministers from the
Government of Andhra Pradesh,
My esteemed friends from industry and business,
Namaskaram.
It is a pleasure and an honour to participate in the Advantage Andhra Pradesh summit. Andhra Pradesh is blessed with the gift of abundance… Abundant fertile land… Abundant natural resources… Abundant talent… And abundant heritage.
From the pristine beaches of Vishakapatnam… To the rich and green plains of Godavari and Krishna… From the splendours of the Vijayanagar Empire To the lofty and sacred hills of Tirumala. Three more strengths have made Andhra Pradesh more wonderful in modern times. First, the incredible strength of its entrepreneurs especially in the areas of Infrastructure and Pharmaceuticals. Second, the enormous strength of Andhra’s diaspora.
Globally, some of the best professors, scientists, engineers, doctors and professionals are from Andhra Pradesh. I, at Reliance Industries, am blessed to have some of my best professional managers in Reliance from Andhra Pradesh. Third, the growth of the Blue Economy in the coming decades will open up an ocean of new opportunities for Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh has the second longest coastline in India, it can prosper greatly by harnessing renewable ocean energy, seabed minerals, marine biotechnology and so on.
Dear Jagangaaru,
Under the determined and farsighted leadership of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has now become the fastest growing large economy in the world. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh has grown phenomenally under your visionary and youthful leadership. Be it ECONOMIC GROWTH or EASE OF DOING BUSINESS, the state today ranks among the best in India. My warm congratulations to you and all the officials of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. There is energy, enthusiasm and ambition among the youth. There is hope, optimism and dynamism among the business community.
And there is an all-pervasive confidence that Andhra will emerge as a leading player in New India’s growth story. Friends, Reliance has been among the first corporates to believe in the stupendous economic potential of Andhra Pradesh. It is here that our Oil & Gas Exploration team found gas in 2002.
We have invested over a 1,50,000 crores in our KG-D6 assets, developing and supporting gas pipeline. Today, the natural gas produced by Reliance at the KG-D6 basin is fuelling India’s clean energy transition and will contribute to nearly 30% of India’s gas production. This is just an example of how important Andhra is to the India story… And how deeply Reliance is invested in the Andhra story. Friends,
Now let me talk about Jio. We are creating the largest and the best digital network footprint in the state by investing over 40,000 crores. Our 4G network covers 98% of Andhra Pradesh’s population, including those living in the remotest corners of the state. The rollout of Jio’s True 5G will be completed before the end of 2023 throughout India, including your state of Andhra Pradesh.
Jio’s True 5G, will trigger a new wave of digital revolution in Andhra Pradesh, benefiting every sector of the economy. This will also create large-scale business and employment opportunities for the people of Andhra Pradesh. Reliance Retail has catalysed a retail revolution in Andhra Pradesh. It has partnered with more than 1.2 lakh kirana merchants across 6,000 villages of Andhra Pradesh, equipping them with tools needed to thrive and succeed in the digital age. Through its presence, Reliance Retail has created over 20,000 direct jobs and a large number of indirect jobs in Andhra Pradesh. But the best is yet to come. Reliance Retail will source significantly more agri and agro- based products and manufactured goods from Andhra Pradesh for sale all over India.
Apart from increasing the income of farmers, artisans and others, this will directly create over 50,000 livelihood opportunities in the state. The Reliance Foundation is working with great passion and vigour in the areas of education, healthcare and rural transformation.
As Reliance grows its presence in Andhra Pradesh, so will Reliance Foundation’s efforts to support the developmental needs of rural communities in the state. Friends, I would like to assure you that Reliance will continue to be an unflinching partner to the people and the Government of Andhra Pradesh in your state’s all-around accelerated progress.
This morning, I am happy to announce that we will continue our investments and we will invest in 10 gigawatts of renewable solar energy in the state of Andhra Pradesh. I thank the Government of Andhra Pradesh and all its officials for their support and encouragement. And I am particularly grateful to the Honorable Chief Minister for all his support and for inviting me to this summit. I wish the summit all success, and I am confident that it will turn a new chapter in the Andhra Pradesh growth story…
Thank you!
RIL CHAIRMAN SHRI MUKESH D AMBANI’S SPEECHRIL
Jothi.S