The Chandrababu Naidu-led government in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday issued orders restoring 14 acres of land at Harbour Park on RK Beach Road in Visakhapatnam to Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group International, reviving the long-pending international-standard shopping mall and convention centre project.
According to the Government Order (GO), the state has decided to develop an International Convention Centre in Visakhapatnam through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The project will include exhibition halls, meeting spaces, parking, a star hotel, and a retail mall, all spread across approximately 14 acres.
The land was initially allotted to Lulu Group in 2018, but the deal was cancelled by the YSR Congress Party government under Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, which alleged that the land was undervalued.
The YSRCP government claimed the land — worth over â¹700 crore — was given at just â¹4 lakh per acre. In response, Lulu Group announced it would no longer invest in Andhra Pradesh.
Nicknamed “Lulu Land,” the property was later listed for auction by the previous government through NBCC at a reserve price of â¹107 crore per acre, but it failed to attract any bidders.
With the TDP-led coalition back in power since 2024, the project has been revived. Lulu Group Chairman Yusuff Ali and Executive Director Ashraf Ali M. A. met with the Chief Minister in September 2024 to discuss restarting the initiative.
Now approved again, the â¹2,200 crore project includes a 6 lakh sq. ft international convention centre, 2 million sq. ft multiplex, and a five-star deluxe hotel, creating an estimated 7,000 jobs.
The State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB), chaired by Naidu, recently gave its formal clearance for the project’s revival.