Introduction and Vision for Amravati

Challenges of Building a New City

Host Introduction and Episode Overview

India's Urban Growth and Future Projections

Smart Cities Mission and Retrofitting

Challenges of Greenfield City Development

Planning and Economic Opportunities

Examples of Successful City Projects

Magarpatta City: A Private Sector Success

New Town Kolkata: Government-Led Success

Amravati: The New Capital of Andhra Pradesh

Land Pooling Scheme for Amravati

Political Changes and Project Delays

Interview with State IT & Education Minister 

Challenges in Resuming Construction

Achievements in Attracting Investments

Vision for the Future of Amravati

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Credits and Acknowledgements

What does it take to develop and actually settlea new capital city?

On May 2nd, PM Narendra Modi launched Amaravati, the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh. But this wasn’t its first unveiling. Back in 2015, then CM Chandrababu Naidu had launched the same greenfield dream with the PM by his side. Now, after a political hiatus and a resounding mandate, Naidu is back and so is Amaravati. In this episode of The Morning Brief, ET’s host Nidhi Sharma speaks with State IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh and former Smart City mission director Kunal Kumar to explore the challenges of attracting investors, rebuilding trust, and turning a fertile riverfront into a functioning capital city. 
From the promise of land pooling to the pitfalls of political disruption, the conversation traces Andhra Pradesh’s reset to “one state, one capital,” drawing comparisons with Cyberabad and probing if this new push can meet its tight timelines.
As India’s urban future accelerates and greenfield cities remain the exception, Amaravati may offer both a blueprint and a cautionary tale. Can Andhra Pradesh transform this dream into a thriving hub — or will Amaravati remain a story of ambition interrupted?
          
Tune in

Check out other interesting episodes like: Meme to Maverick: The Rise of Brand Rahul Gandhi, Polls on My Pod: The Adversaries in Punjab and Bengal, Polls on My Pod: Kashmir Finally Speaks Up!, Polls on My Pod: Ground Check on Delhi, Haryana Elections, and more!

You can follow our hosts Nidhi Sharma on their social media: Twitter & Linkedin

Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts. 

Credits: Fosters + Partners, Narendra Modi   

What does it take to develop and actually settle a new capital city?
On May 2nd, PM Narendra Modi launched Amaravati, the proposed capital of Andhra Pradesh. But this wasn&rsquo;t its first unveiling. Back in 2015, then CM Chandrababu Naidu had launched the same greenfield dream with the PM by his side. Now, after a political hiatus and a resounding mandate, Naidu is back and so is Amaravati. In this episode of The Morning Brief, ET&rsquo;s host Nidhi Sharma speaks with State IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh and former Smart City mission director Kunal Kumar to explore the challenges of attracting investors, rebuilding trust, and turning a fertile riverfront into a functioning capital city. From the promise of land pooling to the pitfalls of political disruption, the conversation traces Andhra Pradesh&rsquo;s reset to &ldquo;one state, one capital,&rdquo; drawing comparisons with Cyberabad and probing if this new push can meet its tight timelines. As India&rsquo;s urban future accelerates and greenfield cities remain the exception, Amaravati may offer both a blueprint and a cautionary tale. Can Andhra Pradesh transform this dream into a thriving hub &mdash; or will Amaravati remain a story of ambition interrupted? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Tune in
Check out other interesting episodes like:&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5tYKsNTpCFQ7Zsnw6QNRPS?si=b5d4b5be479b4e00">Meme to Maverick: The Rise of Brand Rahul Gandhi</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6f2pYgqx70Kvl02kNjzHtD?si=f87abfc1914446dc">Polls on My Pod: The Adversaries in Punjab and Bengal</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qzKwWEXm97FhJ3YEsrmPO?si=f108759950974eb6">Polls on My Pod: Kashmir Finally Speaks Up!</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7m1AX5jrPm8DA0wwzHs2FQ?si=dc9355de285c4341"> Polls on My Pod: Ground Check on Delhi, Haryana Elections</a>, and <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777">more!</a>
You can follow our hosts Nidhi Sharma on their social media:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/AnirbanET">Twitter</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nidhi-sharma-4439b47/?originalSubdomain=in">Linkedin</a>
Catch the latest episode of &lsquo;The Morning Brief&rsquo; on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.etplay.com/etplay">ET Play</a>, <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/podcast?from=mdr">The Economic Times Online</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6PL5kfPbwURBEu6fHCVTOL?si=26ec0fbfa7134fea&amp;nd=1&amp;dlsi=05d0fb85854941e2">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-morning-brief/1/GNPiFQD2xpY_">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/f378141f-9afb-495d-83da-9b08ec5047ac/the-morning-brief">Amazon Music</a> and<a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvNjBiMmU5MjYtZTVmOC00YjkwLWE0NjUtYWVmOTAxMTYzMDAxLzk1ZmQ3YzU5LTc5MGQtNDk2ZS1iYmRlLWFlZjkwMTE2N2ZlNC84YWU1NDc2My05OTI1LTQwY2EtOGMzZC1hZWY5MDExNjdmZmIvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M?sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi2gOG4la36AhUvjtgFHcdWDU8Q9sEGegQIARAC"> Google Podcasts</a>.&nbsp; Credits: <a href="https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/amaravati-masterplan">Fosters + Partners</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@NarendraModi">Narendra Modi&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;

To make sense of the week’s hottest stories in business, economy, politics and markets, journalists from the Economic Times chat with reporters and industry leaders in this thrice-weekly (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) podcast.

The Morning Brief

Reviving Amravati: Can India build new cities?