The "lightning speed" with which the Andhra Pradesh government moved to bag prestigious FAB City project impressed SemIndia, a consortium of overseas Indians promoting the $3 billion venture.
"Having spent 35 years in the United States I can't believe that a government in India can move so fast. India has changed. Andhra Pradesh should be a shining example of how fast a government can move," SemIndia CEO Vinod Agarwal said here Thursday.
Talking to newsmen after signing a memorandum of understanding with the state government for the project, Agarwal said Andhra Pradesh beat Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to bag the project.
"All states lobbied hard but Andhra Pradesh lobbied very hard," he said.
Agarwal said he was especially impressed with the way Andhra Pradesh moved to offer incentives and sign the pact within a week after the announcement about the setting up of FAB City, India's first semiconductor chip making facility.
"It is a historic day. Hyderabad will now be linked to semiconductors and anyone who thinks of semiconductors in India will think of this city. It will be the next global city," Agarwal said.
Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who was also present, said the credit for the project should go to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and central IT and Communications Minister Dayanidhi Minister Maran.
Reddy, however, admitted that at one time his government thought Maran would take away the project to his home state of Tamil Nadu.
{{/usCountry}}Reddy, however, admitted that at one time his government thought Maran would take away the project to his home state of Tamil Nadu.
{{/usCountry}}He thanked his Karnataka counterpart HD Kumaraswamy for stating that Andhra Pradesh moved quickly in offering all incentives to bag the project.
"I also thank former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for his statement that the project is the result of his efforts," said Reddy.