TIME to take Andhra Pradesh’s growth story to the world; HCM Naidu highlights shift from Ease to Speed of Doing Business

At TIME Impact Dinner in Visakhapatnam, HCM invites TIME to witness the State’s progress and share its achievements globally

TIME Managing Director Damian Douglas praises HCM Naidu’s leadership and assures global coverage of Andhra Pradesh’s growth story

Business leaders discuss partnerships and opportunities for the State’s next phase of growth

Visakhapatnam : Andhra Pradesh’s development journey and growing investment opportunities received global attention at the TIME Impact Dinner hosted by TIME and the Government of Andhra Pradesh in Visakhapatnam on Thursday night.

The event, held at The Park on the sidelines of the 31st CII Partnership Summit 2026, brought together around 100 invited business and government leaders.

Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu participated in a fireside chat with Mr Damian Douglas, Managing Director (International), TIME. Highlighting the State’s focus on faster project execution, the Chief Minister said, “We have moved from Ease of Doing Business to Speed of Doing Business.” Citing Google’s AI hub as an example, he said the project was announced in October 2025 and its foundation stone was laid by April 2026, within six months.

The Chief Minister invited TIME to visit Andhra Pradesh again next year to witness the State’s progress and take its development story to the world.

The evening also featured a panel discussion titled “The Partnership Imperative: Building the Next Chapter of Growth”, which explored the role of partnerships in driving the next phase of economic growth. The panel included Mr Madhur Jain of Varaha ClimateAg; Ms Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe; Mr Rajesh Mittal, President and Managing Director, Isuzu Motors India; and Mr Mio Oka, Country Director, India Resident Mission, South Asia Department, Asian Development Bank. The discussion was moderated by Ms Gayatri Rangachari Shah, Senior Producer and Project Director, TIME100 NEXT India.

In his closing remarks, Mr Damian Douglas expressed his appreciation for the Chief Minister’s leadership and the progress made by Andhra Pradesh. He said TIME would share the State’s success story and growth model with the world.

The dinner was attended by business and government leaders, including Hon’ble Union Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu.

Andhra Pradesh’s investment momentum

The 31st CII Partnership Summit is being held in Visakhapatnam on 12 and 13 November, with 11 November as Day 0. Organised by the Government of Andhra Pradesh in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Summit is themed “Navigating the New World Order: Trade, Technology, Trust and Thought Leadership.” Ministers from 14 countries and delegates from 66 countries are participating. The exhibition will be open to the public on 14 November.