Bhogapuram (Andhra Pradesh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, describing the occasion as a significant milestone in Andhra Pradesh’s development and the realisation of the Swarna Andhra Vision. During the event, the PM also launched and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth ₹18,000 crore, spanning aviation, transport, renewable energy, logistics and semiconductor manufacturing.
Addressing a public meeting after the inauguration, the PM began by offering prayers to Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy of Simhachalam, Sri Kurmanadha Swamy of Srikurmam and Goddess Paiditalli. He said the airport, named after freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, would serve as a runway for the aspirations of the youth of North Andhra and ensure that the tribal icon’s sacrifices continue to be remembered.
Highlighting the Centre’s aviation expansion, Modi said India had increased the number of airports from 74 to 166, with air connectivity now reaching smaller towns. He said the UDAN Scheme had enabled many citizens to travel by air for the first time.
Referring to the naming of airports, he said that while airports were once named after members of a single family, the present government had changed that approach by naming airports after national icons such as Maharishi Valmiki, Sant Ravidas, and now Alluri Sitarama Raju.
The PM Modi congratulated more than 13,000 tribal women for creating a Guinness World Record through the Thinsa tribal dance, calling it another proud moment for the region.
Emphasising infrastructure-led growth, Modi said the Centre was strengthening the Coastal Economic Corridor and the Blue Economy, modernising ports from Visakhapatnam to Krishnapatnam, while developing new ports at Mulapeta and Ramayapatnam.
He said the Visakhapatnam–Raipur Expressway, expanded national highway network and ₹1 lakh crore worth of railway connectivity projects would significantly improve connectivity across the state. He added that more than 70 railway stations were being modernised under the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan, integrating railways, ports and airports into a modern logistics network.
The Prime Minister said Visakhapatnam’s technology ecosystem had immense potential and announced that the foundation stone had been laid for a futuristic semiconductor plant in the city.
He said Andhra Pradesh was also attracting investments in AI infrastructure, data centres, including a proposed Google data centre, and several international companies. He added that the Centre would support the establishment of a mega Pharma Park at Nakkapalli, while investments worth ₹5 lakh crore were expected in the green energy sector in Rayalaseema.
Praising the NDA government in the state, Modi said the people had blessed Andhra Pradesh with a double-engine government, adding that under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, development was progressing at double the speed.
He said that during his visits to Andhra Pradesh over the past three years, he had launched development works worth ₹2 lakh crore.
According to the Prime Minister, the Visakhapatnam Economic Region would become one of the most important economic hubs in Asia, with investments leading to higher production, exports, employment and improved living standards.
Following the airport inauguration, the Prime Minister virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several major projects.
These included the ASIP Technologies Semiconductor Packaging and Testing Unit at Tharluvada in
Visakhapatnam, the Wind and Solar Energy Zone Transmission System in Kurnool, the 2,500 MW Solar Energy Zone Transmission Scheme in Anantapur, the 1,000 MW Solar Energy Zone Transmission Scheme in Kurnool, the Kurnool-IV Renewable Energy Zone Transmission Project, the Penchalakona–Yarapadu Bridge, the Khammam–Devarapalli Greenfield Four-Lane Expressway, the Khammam–Devarapalli Package, and the Tadipatri Four-Lane Bypass Road.
Speaking at the same programme, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recalled that the Bhogapuram Airport had been announced in 2015 under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and that its foundation stone was laid in 2019 after securing the necessary approvals. He remarked that his government had initiated the project then and was now completing and dedicating it to the people.
The Chief Minister announced that the government would complete the Polavaram Project and dedicate it to the nation through Prime Minister Modi in 2027. He also said that the first phase of the Amaravati Capital would be completed by 2028 and inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
Naidu said Bhogapuram Airport, located between the sea and green hills, would offer travellers a unique flying experience. Highlighting investment inflows, he said the government had brought 189 projects worth ₹6.13 lakh crore to North Andhra over the past two years and that these projects were expected to generate employment for 5.57 lakh people upon completion.
