Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Saturday said India has reached a stage where the country can achieve developed nation status within a decade.

He described the coming 10 years as a "golden decade" for the country.

"India has reached a stage where the country can achieve developed-nation status within a decade," Lokesh said addressing the Pan-IIT Andhra Pradesh Summit 2026 in Vijayawada.

He said Andhra Pradesh aims to become a developed state while contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India).

According to the TDP working president, developed nations in Europe and the US took nearly 100 years to reach their present level, while Dubai achieved rapid development in around 30 years and Singapore in about 25 years.

He said India now stands at a point where "one decade could be enough to become a developed nation."

He said Andhra Pradesh's development strategy is built around a 3S mantra -- Speed, Service and Stability.

Explaining the first pillar, Lokesh said the pace at which Andhra Pradesh is progressing could redefine the meaning of speed, describing the state government as "a team in a hurry."

Lokesh said the government has a five-year mandate from the electorate and therefore needs to demonstrate tangible results within that period.

He stressed that the government is not merely interested in signing deals and leaving them on paper, but is focused on grounding projects on the field and ensuring that they generate employment opportunities.

He said the ultimate objective is to translate investments and projects into actual jobs and development in Andhra Pradesh, while positioning the state as a contributor to the broader goal of a developed India.

This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.