KURNOOL: Andhra Pradesh is fast emerging as the preferred destination for global investors, with major international funds and leading Indian companies evincing keen interest in the state, education minister Nara Lokesh said on Thursday. Lokesh said that within a year, AP witnessed a 400 per cent increase in renewable energy capacity, attributing this growth to the restoration of investor confidence. “Our goal is not just to consume clean energy, but to position AP as a global producer of clean technologies,” he said. He expressed confidence that AP, with strong partnerships between government, industry and farmers, will lead India’s clean energy transition and set global benchmarks. Commerce and food processing minister Bharath Gupta, local MLA Shyam Babu, several other MLAs, Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha, Tata Power renewable energy Sanjay Banga, collector A Siri and others participated in the event.