Vijayawada: The State Investment Promotion Committee (SIPC) has cleared five investment proposals worth a combined ₹21,985 crore across the steel, FMCG, cement and solar energy sectors for consideration by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB). The proposals have a combined employment potential of 5,875 jobs.Shree Cement has proposed a ₹7,107-crore cement plant, expected to create 1,102 jobs, while Steel Exchange India plans to invest ₹5,194 crore in Vizianagaram, generating 1,400 jobs.Three proposals are from Kurnool. Reliance Consumer Products has proposed a ₹2,606-crore expansion with 1,200 jobs, while Renaissance Solar & Electronic Materials plans to invest ₹3,700 crore and create 1,239 jobs. Jairaj Ispat has proposed a ₹3,378-crore expansion across 600 acres, with an employment potential of 934. The proposals will now be placed before the SIPB for approval.The govt is investing around ₹1,816 crore to strengthen power infrastructure in the Anakapalli industrial belt, in response to rising electricity demand from industries. As part of the programme, APTRANSCO has commissioned a 220-kV gas insulated substation at Atchutapuram at a cost of ₹77.29 crore.Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh has been placed in the second cluster of leading states in S&P Global’s ‘Data Center Policy Attractiveness India Index’, with a score in the 42–45 range. The state is grouped with Odisha, Haryana and Karnataka. Within the cluster, Andhra Pradesh leads on land and capital support, with its data centre policy offering concessions on land costs and capital expenditure aimed at lowering upfront costs for developers.The assessment comes as major data centre investments are being planned in the state, with land and capital incentives forming a key part of the the govt’s policy support for the sector.