Visakhapatnam: Education and IT minister Nara Lokesh has proposed developing Visakhapatnam as a hub for the entertainment and creator economy, with actor-producer Rana Daggubati agreeing to work with the state govt to build the ecosystem.Speaking during a live podcast with Rana at CII Partnership Summit 2026 on Friday, Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh should move beyond offering incentives for film shootings and develop a comprehensive ecosystem encompassing studios, production and post-production facilities, digital content, gaming and other creative industries.He said the creator economy could emerge as a major driver of growth, offering opportunities to young talent across different formats. Smartphones have made content production more accessible, enabling individuals to create and distribute content without depending on large production houses.Drawing a parallel with Hyderabad’s emergence as a film and entertainment hub through studios and Film Nagar, Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh could replicate its success through govt support and industry partnerships.Responding to Lokesh’s proposal, Rana said he would collaborate with the state govt and industry representatives to develop an entertainment ecosystem in Visakhapatnam. The proposed hub would cater to creators across films, digital content and other formats. Both agreed to jointly develop a vision to position Andhra Pradesh as a destination for the creator economy.AP eyes bigger role in India’s space economy: LokeshIn another session at the summit, Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh was poised to emerge as a distinctive destination for India’s space economy, highlighting growing opportunities for startups, entrepreneurs and research institutions.Speaking at a session on India’s new space economy, he said the sector was entering an exciting phase, with enormous untapped opportunities. He appreciated the startups represented at the session and said industry leaders had helped highlight the emerging possibilities in the sector.Lokesh said Andhra Pradesh was positioning itself differently from other states. A thriving industrial ecosystem could not be built merely through incentives or freebies but required collective efforts by the govt, industry, entrepreneurs and academia, he said.He stressed the need to bring together thought leaders, entrepreneurs and academic institutions to identify opportunities, encourage innovation and turn ideas into successful ventures.Lokesh said the state was committed to translating its ambitions into reality. Whenever chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu set a development goal, the govt would work towards implementing it, he said.