Sixty-eight of the notified 320 special economic zones (SEZs) in India are located in Andhra Pradesh, making that the highest number of notified SEZs in any state. In terms of the total formal approvals for SEZs, Andhra Pradesh has 102 approvals, coming second to the 109 in Maharashtra. The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) has played a vital role in the development of the state as a whole and of SEZs in the state in particular. Of the notified SEZs in Andhra Pradesh, 17 are promoted by the APIIC and 23 have APIIC assistance. Operational SEZs in the state like the AP SEZ have state-of-the-art infrastructure supporting them in the form of four-lane approach roads, continuous water and power supply, excellent road networks, and even storm water disposal systems. Currently, 100 SEZs have been approved in the state and 40 are already operational, and they provide employment to 61,905 people so far. As per projections, a total investment of 70,000 crore will be made into SEZs in the state and the SEZs themselves will provide direct employment to 890,000 people and indirect employment to 1,610,000. Talking in terms of employment that the SEZs in Andhra Pradesh have created in a little more detail, we see that the IT/ ITeS sector is the largest employer, followed by the manufacturing sector. The strength of Andhra Pradesh lies in its fully diversified industrial base with a thrust on the high-technology sector, including information technology, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and others. Overall, it is a fascinating time to be in the petroleum and natural gas industry in India and more so in Andhra Pradesh. To promote investment in the petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals industry, the government has set up investment regions in Visakhapatnam-Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (AP PCPIR) would be a specifically delineated investment region with an area of around 603 square kilometres planned for the establishment of manufacturing facilities for domestic and export-led production in petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals industry, along with the associated services and infrastructure. Besides the oil and gas industry, Andhra Pradesh is also getting investment in other sectors like aerospace and precision engineering, gaining traction by the presence of the Aerospace and Precision Engineering SEZ at Adibatla, Ranga Reddy district. Within a short span of seven months, APIIC has made it possible to carry out the groundbreaking function for the first unit in this SEZ. A definitive agreement has been signed between Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Sikorsky Corp of USA for manufacturing of fuselage for their S-92 helicopters in India. Under the able guidance of B.P. Acharya, IAS, Chairman and Managing Director, APIIC, the corporation has truly turned Andhra Pradesh into an extremely attractive investment region. ? Aerospace and Precision Engineering SEZ @ Hyderabad India's number one aerospace park/SEZ is located at Adibhatla, near the Hyderabad International Airport. The current activities at Hyderabad include civil and defence aircraft component manufacture, test labs and training, design and development of satellites and missiles, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) etc. This provides specific opportunities at the Aerospace SEZ including MRO of engines and components, training, precision component fabrication, airframe components, engine components, engineering services, supply chain management and avionics systems repair.