Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh on 17 June publicly invited Kshitij Khandelwal, CTO and founder of remote-sensing satellite firm Pixxelspace, to set up a satellite manufacturing facility in Anantapur — positioning the district as an investor-friendly alternative to Bengaluru. The overture came directly in response to Khandelwal's post on X, where he said acquiring land for a satellite factory on the outskirts of Bengaluru had proven harder than building the satellites themselves.

The X Post That Triggered the Invite

Kshitij Khandelwal posted on X: 'Trying to get land for making a satellite factory in the outskirts of BLR has been way more difficult than actually making said satellites.' The candid remark drew swift responses from ministers across two states.

Karnataka's Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development, M. B. Patil, was first to respond, saying his office would reach out to Khandelwal directly.

Lokesh's Counter-Pitch for Anantapur

Lokesh, who holds the portfolios of Human Resources Development, Information Technology, and Electronics, moved quickly to position Andhra Pradesh as the sharper alternative. 'Kshitij, there's a new investor-friendly destination on the outskirts of Bengaluru. It's called Anantapur,' Lokesh posted.

The minister highlighted that Andhra Pradesh is actively developing Space Cities, aerospace parks, and ready-to-deploy industrial ecosystems — infrastructure designed, he said, so that founders spend time building satellites rather than chasing land approvals. He also directed the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) to establish direct contact with Khandelwal.

A Pattern of Poaching from Karnataka

This is not the first time Lokesh has targeted aerospace firms operating near Bengaluru. In October last year, he extended an open invitation to the aerospace industry after then-Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the withdrawal of a proposed land acquisition in Devanahalli taluk for an aerospace park, following sustained opposition from farmers set to lose their land.

'Dear Aerospace industry, sorry to hear about this. I have a better idea for you. Why don't you look at Andhra Pradesh instead? We have an attractive aerospace policy for you, with best-in-class incentives and over 8,000 acres of ready-to-use land (just outside Bengaluru)!' Lokesh had posted at the time.

Separately, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had earlier offered a 10,000-acre land parcel in Anantapur district to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for potential expansion — a move that reportedly caused friction with Karnataka.

What This Signals for the Aerospace Race

Andhra Pradesh's repeated outreach to aerospace and space-tech firms reflects a deliberate strategy to leverage its proximity to Bengaluru's talent pool while offering land at scale — an asset the Karnataka capital increasingly struggles to provide. Anantapur's geographic position, bordering Karnataka, makes it a credible pitch rather than a distant alternative. Whether Pixxelspace acts on the invitation remains to be seen, but the public exchange has already amplified Andhra Pradesh's aerospace ambitions.