Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1, 2026, inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district. During his visit, he also laid the foundation stone, inaugurated, and dedicated several development projects worth more than ₹17,900 crore, aimed at boosting infrastructure, connectivity, clean energy, and industrial growth across the state.
Bhogapuram International Airport: A Major Infrastructure Milestone
The newly inaugurated airport has been developed under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model at an investment of approximately ₹5,640 crore. Named after legendary freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju, the airport is expected to become a major aviation hub for North Andhra.
Annual passenger handling capacity of 6 million passengers.
Modern passenger terminal inspired by Andhra Pradesh’s traditional Chuttilu cottages, the scenic Araku Valley, and the flying fish.
Equipped with advanced technologies including:
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based airport operations.
Biometric passenger processing.
Automated baggage handling systems.
Airport Predictive Operations Centre (APOC).
Sustainable and green building features.
Expected to improve tourism, trade, investment, and employment opportunities in the region.
Development Projects Worth ₹17,900 Crore
Apart from inaugurating the airport, the Prime Minister launched multiple projects across different sectors.
- Semiconductor Manufacturing Facility
PM Modi laid the foundation stone for Andhra Pradesh’s first semiconductor manufacturing plant in Visakhapatnam. The project is expected to strengthen India’s semiconductor ecosystem and create thousands of high-skilled jobs.
- Renewable Energy Transmission Projects
Several transmission infrastructure projects were inaugurated and launched to support renewable energy generation in Andhra Pradesh.
These include:
Kurnool-IV Renewable Energy Zone (Phase-I) transmission system worth about ₹5,550 crore.
Transmission projects for Kurnool Wind and Solar Energy Zones worth around ₹3,550 crore.
Solar transmission schemes in Ananthapuram and Kurnool costing over ₹820 crore.
These projects will help transmit renewable power generated in the state to the national electricity grid.
