Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu has announced the creation of ‘Silicon City' near the industrial area of Tirupati and ‘Silicon Corridor’ between Tirupati, Nellore and Chennai. Terming it the next Shenzhen, he said that the Tirupati-Nellore-Chennai corridor will become the best industrial corridor in the country and rival China’s Shenzhen. With world’s top technology companies housed there, Shenzhen is touted to be China’s answer to Silicon Valley.

The announcement came as Naidu laid the foundation stone for China-based electronics major TCL’s unit in Tirupati, in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh along with TCL chairman LI Dongsheng and IT Minister Nara Lokesh and officials on Thursday.

Speaking at the event, Naidu said that that the facility, which is being set up across 155 acres of land and that Chittoor will generate 70% of the state’s employment.

“I am confident of creating the same ecosystem as Shenzhen here…I am naming this Silicon corridor today. Tirupati-Nellore-Chennai will be best industrial corridor since it has the advantage of three cities, three airports, port connectivity, rail and road connectivity, giving it a lot of potential. and in future, Shenzhen and this corridor will work together,” he said.

Naidu also announced that the government will invest Rs 22,000 crore in and around Tirupati to invite several more companies to set up shop and generate employment for one lakh people and announced that he is naming this Silicon City. “I made Cyberabad, now creating Silicon City… We will compete with Shenzhen, while working together,” he added.

Following his speech at the event, IT Minister took to Twitter to announce Silicon City. “Hon’ble CM has announced that the region near Tirupati where TCL is coming up along with several other electronics manufacturing companies will be named as ‘Silicon City.’ It will become a major landmark in the Country,” he said in a tweet.

The TCL unit being set up in Tirupati will be company's largest manufacturing base outside China and will build localized manufacturing capabilities ranging from TVs to mobile phones. In the first phase, TCL has invested Rs 20 billion (2,000 crore) in the plant.

While speaking at the event, Naidu appreciated the company for agreeing to beginning operations of the unit within eight months.