The Andhra Pradesh government is ramping up its industrial development drive, with Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu set to inaugurate the Viswasamudra Bio Ethanol Plant at Eedagali Bit-2 village in Venkatachalam mandal on Friday. The project marks a major step in the state’s renewed push to make Nellore district an emerging industrial hub. This comes alongside Indosole Company Limited, which has already begun operations at Karedu village in Vulavapadu mandal, Kandukur constituency, expanding the region’s industrial footprint. According to official sources, the state administration has proposed to acquire 5,000 acres of land across various locations for industrial development under Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Prominent projects such as Apache Shoes in Tada (Sri City), the Indian Farmers Fertilisers Corporation (IFFCO), Krishnapatnam Port, Fabric Industries in Naidupet, and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) in Bogolu were initiated under different state governments, from Naidu’s earlier tenures to YS Rajasekhara Reddy, K Rosaiah, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. However, except for Sri City and Krishnapatnam Port, most other projects were stalled over the years, reportedly due to political and administrative challenges. For instance, the IFFCO project — for which 2,777 acres were acquired in Racharlapadu during PV Narasimha Rao’s tenure in 1995 — was later abandoned. The same land was reacquired under the Kisan SEZ initiative in 2010 during YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s government, but the project did not progress following his demise. Following a prolonged lull in industrial activity under K Rosaiah and N Kiran Kumar Reddy, limited efforts were made during YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, though without significant outcomes. After the TDP-led NDA government assumed office in 2024, Chief Minister Naidu renewed focus on industrialisation in Nellore, backed by Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, who have been driving initiatives to establish an airport and expand MIDHANI operations in Dagadarthi and Bogole mandals. District Collector Himanshu Shukla confirmed that the administration plans to acquire 4,800 acres of land for industrial development across the district, with 515 acres already acquired and awards disbursed to farmers. He added that these projects will not only create substantial employment opportunities for local youth but also spur the development of infrastructure such as roads, rail connectivity, and market facilities, positioning Nellore as a key industrial centre in southern Andhra Pradesh.