The below is one of many player suggested strategies for Andhra. Bear in mind, due to the dynamic nature of the game, it may unfold differently for other players.
Andhra starts off in a precarious position in the 1444 start date, surrounded by the much larger Vijayanagar, Bahmanis and Orissa. However, Andhra does have one attribute that prevents them from dying; an alliance with Vijayanagar. This alliance means everything in the early game. Andhra also starts with cores on Orissa and Vijayanagar. The player's first moves are to improve relations with Jaunpur, as they can be easily royal married then allied, and then build a spy network on Bahmanis. Also make sure to set the South Telingana area as vital interest. As soon as the player's claim is ready, and Bahmanis has no major allies, attack them, promising Vijayanagar land to make them join Andhra's cause. In the best case scenario, Andhra should gain the South Telingana area in it's entirety, and give Vijayanagar all their cores. However, since Bahmanis is large and will likely get Military Tech 4 before the player and Vijayanagar, Andhra can settle for just taking Khammammet, as well as giving Vijayanagar enough land to be happy. as the province borders the nation of Bastar. This nation should be attacked as soon as the player gets a claim on them. Most Central Indian minors rarely get large allies, with maybe one allying Orissa or Vijayanagar. Any Central Indian nations that are not allied to a large power should be conquered this way. Central Indian land is not that great in development, but it is territory, and will get Andhra closer to Jaunpur, whom at this point the player can likely acquire a Royal Marriage with. Another key asset is in the three provinces of Raipur, Ratanpur, and Patna. They are all grasslands with low development, ideal for spawning institutions. If the nations controlling these provinces are allied to a large power, then that is also workable; as Andhra starts with a few grassland provinces of their own.
The player's next target should be Orissa, as not only were they the ones to historically conquer Andhra, but they are the easiest target, as they rarely get major allies. Bahmanis at this point is likely to ally Delhi, but if they do not, then the player should slowly take Bahmani territory, with Vijayanagari assistance if needed. Against Orissa, the player should call in Jaunpur or Vijayanagar (not with promise of land) or maybe both. In the war, the player should take a province with a Bengali core and release them as a vassal. Bengal makes for a good vassal as they have cores on most of the area, though the player should be wary of Bengal's liberty desire. After the first two wars, Orissa will be completely neutralized as they lost much of the rich Bengal area. The player should also try to create a line of provinces that prevents Vijayanagar from expanding north through Bahmani territory, as well as trying to expand north into Malwa, Gujarat, or Mewar if Andhra chose to not ally another Indian major. Once Bahmanis and Orissa both get too small for Vijayanagar to rival, they will likely rival Andhra, and the player should be ready for this. The war against your former ally would be difficult and hard in the first 1 or 2 wars, but by the third war, they too will get neutralized. Make sure to prioritize taking coastal provinces so that Europeans will not take provinces in India. Releasing Madurai as a vassal to take the Tamil lands is also a smart idea for the player. One option for the player is to form a new nation, as Andhra only has a generic South Indian mission tree. Possible nations to form include Orissa, Nagpur, the Marathas, or possibly Nepal if a player is willing to go out of their way for their ideas.
In order to form Bharat, the player will need to backstab Jaunpur at some point. This can happen by either the player breaking the alliance manually, the player attacking a small state that Jaunpur has allied, or possibly Jaunpur breaking the alliance themselves either due to the player's West Indian ally or desire over territory. However, Andhra will need new allies. Potential options include the western colonizers like Portugal, East Asian nations like Manchu or Korea, or even a Middle Eastern alliance like Persia. Conquering the remainder of India is advisable, and can be fast with absolutism. The player from this point can form Bharat, and can start to conquer neighboring regions, like Southeast Asia, Persia, or Tibet.