Visakhapatnam: Highlighting the development potential of Andhra Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said global companies are exploring opportunities in the state, which can become a hub for manufacturing activities.
Addressing a public rally after inaugurating the new airport at Bhogapuram and launching development projects worth Rs 18,000 crore, Modi said the airport will serve as the “runway” for development of Andhra Pradesh, especially the northern region.
The Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport has been built at an outlay of over Rs 5,700 crore with an initial annual passenger handling capacity of 6 million which can be scaled up to 40 million.
“Google has also announced a 15 billion dollar AI and cloud infrastructure campus. (at Visakhapatnam). Many other global companies are also looking at new possibilities. This will be of great benefit to Andhra Pradesh and the youth of the country.”
He further said the central government is also backing a mega pharma park in Naka Palli, which is slated to be developed into a major pharma hub in Andhra Pradesh.
During his speech, the prime minister said the country’s aviation sector has made extraordinary progress in the last 12 years and the number of airports has more than doubled from 74 to 166.
According to Modi, global companies are exploring opportunities in Andhra Pradesh and that will help create employment for the youth.
Projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore have been announced for Andhra Pradesh in recent times and railway projects to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore are progressing in the state.
The country’s blue economy initiatives are gaining momentum, positioning North Andhra Pradesh to emerge as a “coastal economic corridor”, he said.
The PM asserted that Andhra Pradesh has the potential to be a hub for manufacturing and pharmaceuticals.
Meanwhile, Modi took a swipe at the Congress and the Gandhi family, saying, “Earlier, airports were named only after one family.”
Referring to the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN, he said it has provided people from small towns the opportunity to fly.
Modi said today, under the leadership of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, the entire team of NDA is operating at double speed for Andhra Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, reached the venue in an open-top vehicle amid cheers from the public.
