CII summit puts spotlight on Naidu's importance as key NDA ally, Centre's show of strength

Visakhapatnam: The presence of a large number of Union ministers and the Vice-President of India at the CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam is set to underline the political importance of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as a key ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

With Union ministers handling some of the most important economic portfolios expected to participate in the November 12-13 summit, the Centre is sending out a message that the NDA remains firmly together. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan, Pralhad Joshi and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal are among those expected to be present. Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan will attend the valedictory session on November 13, where Naidu is scheduled to deliver the keynote address.

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The ministerial presence is significant given that the summit, themed 'Navigating the New World Order: Trade, Technology, Trust and Thought Leadership', is expected to bring together international trade ministers, global investors and industry leaders. Goyal will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session on November 12, alongside Naidu. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu will also be present.

The summit will see discussions on India's trade partnerships, energy security, infrastructure, manufacturing, aviation, defence technology and river interlinking. The participation of ministers handling these portfolios also provides Naidu an opportunity to push Andhra Pradesh's investment ambitions with the backing of the central government.

The political significance of the gathering comes against the backdrop of Naidu's recent outreach to chief ministers of southern states. His attempts to bring southern states together on issues such as water sharing and development had triggered speculation about the emergence of a regional political platform and reportedly ruffled feathers in Delhi.

Naidu, however, has been careful to dismiss any political interpretation of the initiative. In an interview to ET in Vijayawada on Tuesday, he brushed aside suggestions of an emerging southern alliance, saying that the only issue facing India was development.

He argued that only the BJP and the NDA could undertake ambitious national projects such as interlinking of rivers, which he believes can address water scarcity and transform the country's economic prospects. The CII programme itself has a dedicated session on river interlinking and ending water scarcity.

For Naidu, the message is that cooperation with southern chief ministers on development issues does not translate into a political challenge to the NDA. For the BJP, the presence of senior ministers at one of India's major investment gatherings is an opportunity to demonstrate that its partnership with an important regional ally remains intact.

The summit, therefore, is as much about showcasing Andhra Pradesh as an investment destination as it is about reinforcing Naidu's place in the NDA's political and economic architecture.