At a time when the Bureau of Energy Efficiency has proposed pre-setting air conditioners at a minimum temperature of 24 degrees Celsius to conserve energy, Andhra Pradesh Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh made a light-hearted revelation. Speaking at an event on Wednesday, he shared that his father, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, prefers his room to be maintained at a cool 17 degrees Celsius.
Mixed Reactions to Energy-Saving Proposal
The proposal to fix ACs at 24 degrees Celsius has drawn mixed responses. While some support the move as a measure to reduce energy consumption, others oppose it, citing rising daytime temperatures across the country.
Lokesh's Anecdote at Carrier Event
Lokesh was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for Carrier Global Corporation's manufacturing unit at Sri City. He recalled that his first air conditioner was from Carrier. Adding a touch of humor, he noted that Chandrababu Naidu prefers his room at 17 degrees Celsius, now powered by Carrier ACs, drawing smiles from the audience.
Carrier Global Corporation is establishing a plant at a cost of ₹1,000 crore to manufacture chillers. Lokesh emphasized that Andhra Pradesh will lead in the global race for data centers and artificial intelligence.
Focus on Ecosystem Development
“We are not just building data centres, but their entire ecosystem. The data centres require advanced cooling systems, high-efficiency chillers, power electronics and precision manufacturing, making it essential to build a strong supporting ecosystem,” Lokesh observed. He welcomed Carrier Global for choosing Andhra Pradesh and Sri City, calling it a step towards strengthening the state's digital and industrial growth.
Cluster-Based Development Strategy
The IT minister highlighted that the future belongs to ecosystems and cluster-based development. He pointed to the emergence of space city, data centre hub, AC manufacturing cluster, glass cluster, and renewable energy cluster among the 22 emerging cluster hubs in the state. All stakeholders contributing to the end product – from gas and components to full-scale manufacturing – will be involved in this vertical integration. He also stressed the importance of horizontal integration, particularly in human resources, focusing on skilling, testing, and certification.
Launch of ‘Naipunyam' Platform
Lokesh announced the launch of ‘Naipunyam', a conversational AI-powered skill assessment platform aimed at making youth job-ready. He invited industry collaboration and appealed to industry partners to be part of Andhra Pradesh's growth story, stating that tightly integrated clusters would be key to manufacturing success.
Carrier's global leadership, including David L Gitlin, Michael L Gierges, and Sundaresan Narayanan, attended the event alongside Srini Raju and Dr Ravindra Sannareddy, marking a landmark investment.
