Tirupati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday announced that a 'Space City' would be set up near Tirupati to manufacture and launch private satellites, positioning the state as a hub for advanced technology and innovation.

Speaking at an event in Visakhapatnam, Naidu said two such facilities would come up in Lepakshi and Tirupati, with the latter designed on the lines of SpaceX in the United States. “Private satellites will be launched from Andhra Pradesh's Space City in Tirupati,” he said.

The chief minister also unveiled plans to boost the state's presence in emerging technologies, including quantum computing. He announced that a quantum computer would start functioning in Amaravati from September 1 to support universities, research institutions, startups and industry.

Highlighting the state's progress in the IT sector, Naidu said Andhra Pradesh attracted investments worth Rs 88,000 crore in the sector last year. He added that Visakhapatnam is emerging as a major information technology hub with global companies such as Google, TCS and Cognizant expanding their footprint.