Visakhapatnam Charts Growth Path With IBM FutureNow Centre and Major Policy Moves
Visakhapatnam is cementing its place as Andhra Pradesh's technology and civic development frontier this month. IBM opened its IBM Consulting FutureNow Centre on August 5, 2026 — positioned as a hub for artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud and digital transformation delivery for global clients. On the civic front, the Andhra Pradesh government has approved a slum redevelopment model for the Velampeta area, while 32 RSS-affiliated organisations including the BJP are preparing to converge on the city for a three-day summit focused on engaging India's Generation Z.
🏢 IBM Consulting FutureNow Centre Opens in Visakhapatnam to Serve Global AI Clients
IBM announced on August 5, 2026 the opening of its IBM Consulting FutureNow Centre in Visakhapatnam, marking a significant expansion of the company's footprint in Andhra Pradesh and cementing the city's emergence as a hub for technology-driven services. The centre is designed to support global consulting and technology delivery with capabilities spanning artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud, software engineering, data and analytics, cybersecurity, and enterprise transformation. It will function as a hub specifically for AI-first cloud transformation, platform engineering, service integration, quality engineering, and user experience services. The FutureNow Centre was inaugurated by Shri Nara Lokesh, Minister of IT, Electronics and HRD, Government of Andhra Pradesh, in the presence of Sandip Patel, Managing Director of IBM India and South Asia, along with other dignitaries from the government and IBM. Minister Nara Lokesh called IBM's investment 'a strong endorsement of Visakhapatnam's emergence as a global hub for artificial intelligence, digital services and technology-led innovation,' and said the government's vision is to build a complete ecosystem that creates high-quality employment and develops future-ready talent. IBM noted that Visakhapatnam's growing digital talent pool, strong academic institutions, and evolving technology ecosystem make it well-positioned to support global client engagements. [5]
🗳️ 32 RSS Affiliates Including BJP to Meet in Visakhapatnam to Discuss Gen Z Outreach
Visakhapatnam will host a major organisational gathering of 32 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh affiliates, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, between August 19 and 21, 2026, according to a report by The New Indian Express. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale will preside over the three-day meeting, the central focus of which is developing strategies for engaging India's Generation Z — the cohort of young people born roughly between the late 1990s and early 2010s who now constitute a significant bloc of India's electorate and workforce. The meeting reflects a broader RSS strategic priority to deepen its relevance among younger demographics who have grown up in a digital-native, social-media-saturated environment that differs markedly from earlier generations. Bhagwat has spoken previously at Gen Z and Gen Alpha gatherings in major cities. Visakhapatnam was selected as the host city, giving the country's largest Hindu nationalist organisation a visible presence in Andhra Pradesh's industrial and port city. The discussions are expected to inform how affiliated organisations structure their youth outreach programmes, messaging, and organisational methods going into the next political cycle. [8]
🏢 Andhra Pradesh Approves Velampeta Slum Redevelopment Model in Visakhapatnam
The Andhra Pradesh government has cleared a new slum redevelopment model for Visakhapatnam's Velampeta area, according to Telangana Today. The approved project will provide 177 homes to existing slum residents through a high-rise residential complex to be built using a combination of private investment and transferable development rights — a mechanism that grants private developers additional buildable area elsewhere in exchange for constructing affordable housing on a designated site. The Velampeta model is intended to serve as a replicable template for addressing informal settlements across Visakhapatnam, where rapid urbanisation and the growth of port and industrial sectors have created persistent demand for affordable urban housing. The use of private capital and market-based incentives rather than purely public spending represents a newer approach to slum redevelopment in Andhra Pradesh. By providing high-rise units to existing residents — effectively consolidating scattered ground-level housing into vertical blocks — the scheme seeks to free up land in dense urban areas while simultaneously improving living conditions for families who have long occupied informal housing in the Velampeta neighbourhood. [6]
Sources: [5] IBM · [8] The New Indian Express · [6] Telangana Today