Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on August 1, 2026, inaugurating and laying foundation stones for development projects worth over ₹17,900 crore. The centrepiece of the visit was the inauguration of the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district, the state’s first greenfield international airport since its bifurcation in 2014. In Mysuru, Karnataka, PM Modi inaugurated the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre, also called Viveka Smaraka, to mark the 134th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s historic stay in the city that preceded his famous address at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago.
Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport: A New Gateway for North Andhra
The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district marks a significant expansion of Andhra Pradesh’s aviation infrastructure. Developed at a cost of over ₹5,640 crore by GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd (GVIAL) under a public-private partnership model, it is the state’s first greenfield international airport since Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated to create Telangana in 2014. The airport is designed to handle six million passengers annually in its first phase, with long-term plans to scale capacity to 40 million passengers per year. Commercial flight operations are scheduled to begin on August 17, 2026.
About Alluri Sitarama Raju
The airport is named after Alluri Sitarama Raju (1897-1924), a revolutionary freedom fighter who waged an armed rebellion against British colonial rule in the Eastern Ghats of present-day Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Born in Mogallu village in the West Godavari district, Raju mobilised tribal communities against the oppressive Madras Forest Act of 1882, which curtailed their traditional farming practices known as Podu cultivation and displaced them from their lands. He led the Rampa Rebellion (1922-1924), a guerrilla campaign against the British forces, earning the title “Manyam Veerudu” (Hero of the Forests). He was martyred on May 7, 1924, at the age of 27. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose paid tribute to his legacy, calling him an inspiration for India’s youth. His birth anniversary on July 4 is celebrated as a state festival in Andhra Pradesh.
Strategic Significance for North Andhra
The airport is expected to serve as a catalyst for the economic transformation of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, a region that has long awaited a dedicated international aviation hub. It will complement the existing Visakhapatnam Airport, which currently operates as a civil enclave at INS Dega, a naval air station of the Indian Navy. The state government projects the airport as a driver of industrial growth, employment generation, exports, and skill development across the region. PM Modi described the airport as a “runway for the growth of Andhra and North Andhra,” noting that it stands on the same land where Alluri Sitarama Raju dedicated his life to tribal welfare.
Other Major Projects Inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh
Beyond the airport, PM Modi inaugurated, dedicated, and laid foundation stones for projects worth over ₹17,900 crore across Andhra Pradesh, spanning aviation, semiconductor manufacturing, power transmission, and highway development. PM Modi noted that during his last three visits to the state alone, projects worth approximately ₹2 lakh crore had been launched or inaugurated.
ASIP Semiconductor Facility: Andhra Pradesh’s First
PM Modi virtually laid the foundation stone for Andhra Pradesh’s first semiconductor manufacturing facility under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). The ASIP Technologies Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility is being developed at Tarluvada in Visakhapatnam district on a 30-acre site with an initial investment of over ₹460 crore in partnership with South Korea-based APACT Co. The facility will have an annual production capacity of 96 million semiconductor chips and will cater to high-growth sectors such as artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, data centres, and high-speed communications.
ASIP Technologies plans to invest an additional ₹2,000 crore to scale up its advanced semiconductor packaging operations. The project is expected to create over 2,600 direct and indirect jobs and will strengthen India’s semiconductor supply chain by reducing dependence on imported chips. The company also plans to collaborate with institutions including IIT Tirupati and IIT Hyderabad and establish an in-house semiconductor training centre.
Power Transmission and Highway Projects
The Prime Minister inaugurated the transmission system for the Kurnool Wind Energy Zone and Solar Energy Zone (Andhra Pradesh), implemented at a cost of around ₹3,550 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for the Kurnool-IV Renewable Energy Zone Phase-I (4.5 GW) transmission system, valued at ₹5,550 crore. Additionally, the transmission scheme for the Solar Energy Zone in Ananthapuram (2,500 MW) and Kurnool (1,000 MW), implemented by POWERGRID at a cost of over ₹820 crore, was dedicated to the nation. PM Modi outlined plans to develop the region as a major Coastal Economic Corridor from Visakhapatnam to Krishnapatnam, combining port modernisation with new deep-water hubs at Mulapeta and Ramayapatnam.
Viveka Smaraka: Commemorating Swami Vivekananda’s Mysuru Connection
After inaugurating the projects in Andhra Pradesh, PM Modi travelled to Mysuru, Karnataka, where he inaugurated the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre, known as Viveka Smaraka, at the Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama. The centre is dedicated to the life, message, and ideals of Swami Vivekananda and aims to serve as a hub for value-based education, leadership training, and personality development for young people.
Swami Vivekananda’s Historic 1892 Visit
The Viveka Smaraka is located at the historic Niranjana Math (also called the Old Anathalaya) on N.S. Road in Mysuru, the very site where Swami Vivekananda stayed during his visit to the city in November 1892. During his journey across India as a wandering monk, Vivekananda arrived in Mysuru, where he was introduced to Dewan K. Sheshadri Iyer, the then Dewan of Mysore. The Dewan was so impressed by the young monk’s “magnetic personality and divine force” that he introduced him to Maharaja Sri Chamarajendra Wadiyar X. The Maharaja immediately became Vivekananda’s admirer and ordered that he be treated as a state guest. It was at this place in Mysuru that Vivekananda first resolved to participate in the Parliament of the World’s Religions to be held in Chicago in 1893, making Mysuru the Sankalpa Bhoomi (land of resolve) for one of the most iconic moments in India’s spiritual history.
The Youth Centre’s Mission
The Viveka Smaraka was built by Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysuru, a branch of the worldwide Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, which has been engaged in spiritual, cultural, educational, and rural welfare activities since its establishment in 1925. The project began with a bhoomi puja on July 11, 2022, and was completed with support from the Government of India, the Government of Karnataka, private organisations, devotees, and donors. The centre is expected to serve as a training and value-education hub for more than 10,000 students from nearby educational institutions, offering short-term courses and workshops based on Swami Vivekananda’s ideals. PM Modi called upon India’s youth to dedicate themselves to nation-building through service, innovation, education, and discipline, saying fulfilling Swami Vivekananda’s vision of India was the responsibility of the present generation.
Key Takeaways
- The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram, Andhra Pradesh, was inaugurated on August 1, 2026, at a cost of over ₹5,640 crore under a public-private partnership with GMR Visakhapatnam International Airport Ltd (GVIAL).
- It is Andhra Pradesh’s first greenfield international airport since the state’s bifurcation in 2014, designed to handle six million passengers annually in its first phase.
- Alluri Sitarama Raju (1897-1924) was a tribal freedom fighter who led the Rampa Rebellion (1922-1924) against the British-imposed Madras Forest Act of 1882; he was martyred at the age of 27.
- ASIP Technologies is setting up Andhra Pradesh’s first semiconductor facility under the India Semiconductor Mission at Visakhapatnam, with an initial investment of over ₹460 crore in partnership with South Korea’s APACT Co., targeting an annual production of 96 million chips.
- The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre (Viveka Smaraka) in Mysuru stands at the site where Vivekananda stayed in November 1892 and first resolved to attend the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago.
- The Viveka Smaraka was built by Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Mysuru (est. 1925), a branch of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, and will serve as a value-education hub for over 10,000 students.
