Tirupati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced plans to build Lord Venkateswara temples in every state capital of India and across countries with significant Hindu populations. Speaking at the International Temples Convention and Expo (ITCX) in Tirupati on Monday, Naidu emphasized the spiritual and economic importance of temples.
“Temples are not just spiritual centers but also drive economic growth. The economic value of temples in India is estimated at ₹6 lakh crore,” Naidu stated. He highlighted the role of temple tourism in boosting the economy and stressed the need for AI integration, fintech solutions, and digital governance to enhance transparency and efficiency in temple management.
Naidu praised the Annadana Trust, started by NTR in 1983-84, which now holds a corpus of ₹2,000 crore. He also mentioned the Pranadanam Trust, initiated during his tenure in 2003, with a corpus of ₹440 crore for life-saving medical aid.
He stressed the importance of technological innovation in temples, including AI-powered surveillance, QR codes, and drones to manage crowd control and security. The government is collecting devotee feedback through IVRS to improve services.
Naidu emphasized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, predicting that India will become the world’s third-largest economy by 2029 and a global superpower by 2047. He highlighted that India leads the world in AI adoption with 65% usage, compared to the global average of 31%.
With 27,000 temples under state management, Naidu pledged to promote temple traditions through Vedic committees and inclusive governance, ensuring representation from Brahmin and Nai Brahmin communities on temple trust boards.
