Understandably then, securing the speedy ratification of the Insurance bill from the Parliament is the priority item on the agenda that Naidu has set for the new NDA government at the Centre. "I am planning to attract insurance companies and other financial institutions to set up shop in Hyderabad in a big way", he told The Financial Express. "Once the Insurance Bill is through, the doors would be open for me to pursue this agenda", he said in an exclusive interview, one of the first since taking over as the chief minister for a second time on Monday.

While Hyderabad has already made a beginning of sorts in this respect with some conglomerates like GE Capital Services setting up their back office operations in the city, real investment from the financial sector is expected to flow in soon after the IRA Bill is cleared by the Parliament. Firmly in the saddle with his 179 MLAs in the state legislature and 29 MPs in the Lok Sabha, Naidu has set an ambitious investment and economic agenda, both for himself and the Vajpayee government which he is supporting from outside.

First on his priority list, according to Naidu, is crystalising his Vision 2020 agenda into more specific and time bound targets after a general debate. "I am going to review all my previous policies and fix yearly targets for each sector", he said talking about the future course. Though the targets would be sector-wise, the ultimate objective is to increase employment and improve the state's human development index, he said.

Also on his mind is marketing the state more aggressively to potential investors. Though he has been able to put the state on the global map, investment decisions have mostly remained on paper with most investors preferring to wait out till he came back to power in the state.

"Now that there is more stability, it will be easier for me to market the state to investors", he stressed. As part of this exercise, the chief minister will embark on a major road show in other countries, plans for which are being firmed up. Significantly, one of the first countries to focus attention on AP could be none other than the USA with the American ambassador, reportedly scheduled to make a trip to Hyderabad either later this month or early November. He will be accompanied by a high level delegation of American businessmen who are looking at the state as a potential investment destination.

However, asked if the interests of the state could have been served better if he had actively participated in the Centre instead of extending outside support, Naidu felt it was not necessarily so.

Though the local industry was somewhat surprised by Naidu's decision not to place his men in the Union cabinet, the chief minister assured the interests of the industry would be taken care of. "Injustice will not be done for AP, for industry or for anybody", he said. The decision to remain out was expressly to avoid sharing the negative fallout of any problems resulting from bad policy (if any) by the Centre. "I have embarked on a new experiment in governance for which I have to carry people with me. Any negative actions will be a problem for me in good governance", he said. "Anyway, we have decided to support and there is no instability at the Centre. I am a dependable coalition partner", said Naidu. "Our people have given 36 seats in support of this government. But we do not want to exploit it for power, we only want things done for the state", Naidu emphasised stating he was for cooperative federalism.

Understandably, with the considerable clout he now enjoys at the Centre, Naidu has embarked on setting an agenda for the NDA government including more powers to the state, increased flow of funds to AP and faster clearance of pending projects.

At the same time, nationally speaking, Naidu holds out the AP example on good governance for Vajpayee to emulate. "People in Andhra have proved they want good governance which if given they will be with us forever", he says. Vajpayee will have to do the same thing for the country. Speaking of the areas which need focus, Naidu feels Vajpayee will have to concentrate on education, health, infrastructure, rural development, communications and IT among a host of other areas. "He has to fix priorities and then plan it out", he said.

Not surprisingly, information technology is once again to be the core of the development paradigm that Naidu has worked out for the state over the next five year, which he feels will lay the foundation till the year 2020. "I will now give more importance to technology, video conference, tele conference and computerization, all of which are important in giving good governance and thereby dealing with poverty in the state", he says.