Amaravati, February 22 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Sunday that high-speed digital connectivity will drive governance reforms and economic growth across the state.
Addressing the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) under the amended BharatNet programme, the CM emphasized expanding broadband infrastructure to strengthen service delivery in both rural and urban Andhra Pradesh.
"High-speed digital connectivity will drive governance reforms and accelerate economic growth across Andhra," Naidu said.
He said digital connectivity forms the foundation for a "Viksit Bharat" (developed India), adding that higher bandwidth would ensure faster, transparent and efficient services for every household.
The state, with the Centre's support, aims to provide high-speed internet connectivity to every household within one-and-a-half years under the strengthened BharatNet framework, he said.
The TDP supremo lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for advancing India's digital push and expanding telecom infrastructure nationwide.
Naidu said FiberNet had earlier connected nearly 10 lakh households, but the number declined to 3.8 lakh due to alleged mismanagement during the erstwhile YSRCP government between 2019 and 2024. Efforts are now underway to restore and expand coverage, he added.
He said over 900 government services are being delivered through WhatsApp, while Pattadar passbooks (land documents) are printed using secure technology and land records are protected through blockchain systems.
Technology integration will also support the Sanjeevani health record digitisation project and improve the delivery of education and healthcare services through AI-enabled applications, he said.
Naidu added that AI would support governance, healthcare and education, and generate employment rather than eliminate jobs.
Stating that Andhra Pradesh is ready to serve as a test bed for telecom and technology innovations, he said robust digital infrastructure would anchor the state's growth.
He added that emerging initiatives, including AI infrastructure, quantum computing partnerships and data connectivity projects, would strengthen Andhra's role in India's digital future.