Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday, 12 November 2026, announced that his government will introduce an Investment Protection Act to shield investors from the uncertainties of regime changes and what he called vindictive politics. Speaking at the inaugural session of the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam, Naidu urged the Union government to follow suit with similar national-level legislation.

What the Proposed Law Seeks to Do

Chief Minister Naidu said his administration is drafting a state-level Investment Protection Act that will be passed through the state Assembly before being sent to the Centre for consideration. He specifically requested Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to champion the proposal and push for its conversion into a central law.

Naidu argued that apprehensions about policy reversals after elections — and what he characterised as politically motivated targeting of investors — were dampening investment confidence. A statutory protection framework, he said, would address these fears directly and unlock stronger capital flows into India.

Andhra Pradesh's Investment Record Since June 2024

State Human Resources Development, Information Technology and Real Time Governance Minister Nara Lokesh, who also addressed the summit, said Andhra Pradesh has received investment commitments worth ₹22.6 lakh crore since June 2024. Of these, 73 per cent — projects worth ₹17.2 lakh crore — have been converted into approved projects expected to generate employment for 12.7 lakh people.

Notably, 51 per cent of those approved projects have already reached the ground-level implementation stage. Projects worth ₹5.9 lakh crore, with the potential to create 7.4 lakh jobs, have commenced construction, according to Lokesh.

Andhra Pradesh's Pitch: Ports, Produce and Manufacturing

Lokesh highlighted the state's strategic economic strengths to global industrialists. Andhra Pradesh's coastline stretches more than 1,000 kilometres, and the port of Visakhapatnam, along with other state ports, handles approximately 100 million tonnes of cargo annually. Four new greenfield ports are under construction at Ramayapatnam, Mulapeta, Machilipatnam, and Kakinada — additions that are expected to double the state's cargo-handling capacity.

The minister noted that roughly one-third of India's seafood exports by volume and nearly 80 per cent of its shrimp exports originate from Andhra Pradesh. The state accounts for more than 40 per cent of India's cocoa production, more than 40 per cent of its dry chilli output — with the Guntur region as a key hub — and approximately 16 per cent of national fruit production, making it the country's largest fruit-producing state. Andhra Pradesh also ranks first nationally in fish and egg production, and contributes more than half of India's FCV tobacco output.

On manufacturing, Lokesh pointed out that nearly 60 per cent of India's air conditioners are produced at a single facility in Sri City. He also noted that since Kia commenced production in Anantapur in 2019, nearly 1.9 million cars have rolled off its assembly line, with exports reaching more than 90 countries.

A First-of-Its-Kind Investor Shield

If enacted, Andhra Pradesh would reportedly become the first state in India to implement such an investor-protection law, having already pioneered the use of escrow accounts as an investor safeguard. Lokesh invited global industrialists not merely to visit the state but to invest, innovate, and establish their corporate base there, pledging full government cooperation.

What Comes Next

The Bill is expected to be tabled in the state Assembly before being forwarded to the Centre. The proposal's national trajectory will depend significantly on the response from Union Minister Goyal and the appetite within the central government for such a legislative precedent. Industry observers will be watching whether other investment-competitive states follow Andhra Pradesh's lead.