Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, Vizianagaram district, putting both the region and Andhra Pradesh in the spotlight. This nearly Rs 5,000-crore greenfield airport, developed by GMR Group, isn't just a piece of infrastructure—it's set to jump-start the North Andhra economy and turn the area into an industrial, tourism, and aviation powerhouse.
Grand Cultural Welcome
The atmosphere around Bhogapuram was electric. When Modi arrived, 13,500 tribal women greeted him with the vibrant Dhimsa dance—a sight that's hard to forget. Inside the terminal, the local character stood out everywhere: Etikoppaka art, miniature Chuttilu houses, and landscapes from Araku Valley covered the walls, giving a sense of place that modern hubs often lack.
The event drew big names. Modi toured the airport with Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, CM Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu. In a grand gesture, Modi didn’t stop at opening the airport; he also laid the foundation stones for development projects across Andhra Pradesh topping Rs 17,900 crore. These include the state’s first major semiconductor plant in Visakhapatnam, high-impact renewable energy grid expansions in Kurnool and Anantapur, and four major national highway projects.
Key Project Milestones
On the operational front, the airport’s ready to handle 6 million passengers per year from day one, with expansion plans that scale up to 40 million. It’s built with sustainability in mind: a 5 MW solar plant, rainwater harvesting, and automated waste management—all setting the tone for future green airports in India. Commercial flights will move from the military airfield in Visakhapatnam and start at this new terminal on August 17.
Gateway to the Global Economy: PM Modi
In his speech, Modi called the airport more than just a transportation node. For him, it’s a launchpad into the global economy—his confidence was clear. He spoke about the “double-engine” partnership between the central government and the state, arguing that their combined focus on aviation, semiconductors, and infrastructure will reset Andhra Pradesh’s economic trajectory.
He also made a point of applauding the airport’s name—Alluri Sitarama Raju wasn’t just a freedom fighter, but a symbol whose legacy now threads through both the airport’s cutting-edge technology and its home-grown design motifs. In Modi’s words, the blend of tradition and tech here doesn’t just honour the past; it paves the way for a future that’s uniquely Indian and fiercely modern.