MC EXCLUSIVE Andhra govt has set up WhatsApp groups for every investment project to fast-track clearances: Nara Lokesh

Andhra Pradesh IT, Electronics and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh

In a bid to make Andhra Pradesh a more investor-friendly destination, the state government has institutionalised the creation of WhatsApp groups for every investment project, bringing together company chairmen, relevant ministers and key state officials to monitor progress in real time, IT, Electronics and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh said.

Explaining the mechanism, Lokesh told Moneycontrol in an interview that this approach has become a key element of the state’s ease of doing business framework, enabling swift coordination and faster clearances.

When asked about the rule book the state is following on ease of doing business, Lokesh said, “It's called Naidu 4.0. We have the best version of Mr. Naidu and his government. Now see, politically 50 percent of our MLAs are first timers. 17 out of the 25 ministers are first timers. What we bring is raw energy, passion to solve problems.”

He added that once the government and a company agree on an investment, the state treats the project as a shared responsibility. “Once we shake hands with any company saying, okay, let's look at Andhra and say, okay, this is the investment. It no longer is their project. It becomes our project. Together, we are in it together, and the first thing that gets done is a WhatsApp group gets created, really, where the chairman of that company is on the WhatsApp group,” Lokesh said.

According to him, the WhatsApp groups are not symbolic but operational. “As a minister, I'm in that group. And on a weekly basis, we have updates on the project from Andhra’s perspective, government perspective, and the company's team also updates. And if it goes mute for about 10 days, then reminders actually come from me. I ask, what's the status of this project? And it happened in one instance. I said, okay, I haven't heard from you. It's been 10 days. What's going on?” he explained.

Lokesh said the approach is part of the state’s larger push under the “Naidu 4.0” governance model, which aims to bring agility, accountability and investor responsiveness into project execution. By using a direct and informal communication channel that includes top decision-makers, the state hopes to pre-empt bureaucratic delays and ensure investors receive timely responses.

The move comes at a time when Andhra Pradesh is pitching itself as a competitive investment destination, with the government seeking to leverage this model as a differentiator in its ease of doing business framework.