Vishakhapatnam on a roll

The Port City is witnessing rapid transformation, with major investments across sectors. The latest additions are the PV Sindhu Sports Centre and IBM Consulting's FutureNow Centre

Lokesh asked the contractor to complete the project within 18 months, setting a target of inaugurating the facility by May 2028

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

“Athletes win Olympic medals, but it is academies that make Olympic dreams possible,” IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh said while laying the foundation stone for the PV Sindhu Centre for Sports Excellence in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Lokesh said the proposed academy should become a breeding ground for future champions and described it as more than a sporting facility, “a foundation for India’s future champions”.

Recalling the genesis of the project, Lokesh said Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu initially approached Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu with a proposal to establish a badminton academy. Naidu, however, encouraged her to think beyond a single discipline and create a Centre of Excellence capable of nurturing talented youngsters across multiple sports. “This is not merely about constructing a facility; it is about building a legacy,” Lokesh said. Highlighting the government’s focus on sports alongside academics, he said Saturdays had been designated as ‘No Bag Days’ in schools, giving students opportunities to participate in sports and other activities. Schools are also being equipped with sporting equipment.

“A classroom builds knowledge, while the playground builds character,” he said, adding that sports teach discipline, respect and the ability to handle defeat. Lokesh asked the contractor to complete the project within 18 months, setting a target of inaugurating the facility by May 2028. The government’s larger ambition, he said, was to make Andhra Pradesh known not only for producing outstanding students and attracting industries, but also for creating world-class athletes. “One day, a child who walks through these gates with a dream could carry the Indian flag at an Olympic stadium,” Lokesh said, urging youngsters to believe: “If Sindhu can do it, I can too.”

IBM opens futurenow centre

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Global technology major IBM on Wednesday opened its new IBM Consulting FutureNow Centre in Visakhapatnam, strengthening the city’s rapidly expanding technology ecosystem and its ambitions to emerge as a major destination for artificial intelligence and global digital services.

The centre will deliver consulting and technology services to IBM’s global clients across artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud, software engineering, data and analytics, cybersecurity and enterprise transformation. It will also focus on AI-first cloud transformation, platform engineering, service integration, quality engineering and user-experience services. IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh, who inaugurated the facility in the presence of IBM India and South Asia Managing Director Sandip Patel, described the investment as a strong endorsement of Visakhapatnam’s emergence as a global technology hub.

“IBM’s FutureNow Centre is a strong endorsement of Visakhapatnam’s emergence as a global hub for artificial intelligence, digital services and technology-led innovation,” Lokesh said. The government’s objective, he added, was not merely attracting investments but building an ecosystem capable of generating high-quality employment and preparing Andhra Pradesh’s youth for the global digital economy. IBM said Visakhapatnam’s growing technology talent pool, academic institutions and emerging digital ecosystem made the city an attractive location for supporting global client transformation programmes.

With Visakhapatnam joining its network, IBM Consulting now operates FutureNow Centres across 15 Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Kochi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. The new centre adds to a series of technology investments being pursued in Visakhapatnam as the Andhra Pradesh government seeks to position the coastal city as a major hub for AI, data centres and digital services.