Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (October 16, 2025) said that the 21st century belongs to 140 million Indians and that the country will become “Viksit Bharat” (developed India) by 2047.
The Make in India ecosystem there has chimed in and said, “We saw the power” of home-made “stuff” in Operation Sindoor, the military offensive launched on the launching pads of cross-border terrorism in Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
“By 2047, the centenary year of independence, it will become Viksit Bharat,” the Prime Minister said in his speech after inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of projects worth over ₹13,000 crore.
“I can say with certainty that the 21st century will belong to India,” Mr. Modi added.
The Prime Minister further said that Andhra Pradesh now has visionary leadership in Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his Deputy Pawan Kalyan and that there is full cooperation from the Central Government with the State.
He said that with Google’s AI Hub investment, a new international undersea gateway will be developed in which the undersea cable systems of several countries will be connected. They will come to Visakhapatnam on the east coast.
“Over the past 16 months, the development vehicle in Andhra Pradesh has been moving very fast and unprecedented progress is being made in the twin engine government,” he said.
He said that Andhra Pradesh is not only a land of self-respect and culture but also a center of science and innovation.
Several projects which have either been inaugurated or foundation stone laid today will improve connectivity, boost industry and improve the lives of people in the state, he further said.
Mr. Modi claimed that 11 years ago when the Congress ruled at the Centre, the average electricity consumption per person was less than 1,000 units. The country was also facing blackout problems then and there were no electricity poles in our villages.
Earlier, PM Modi inaugurated and laid foundation for several projects worth ₹ 13,430 crore spread across the state.
The projects cover key sectors such as industry, power transmission, roads, railways, defense manufacturing and oil and gas.
He laid the foundation for strengthening the transmission system at Kurnool-III Junction Station with an investment of over ₹2,880 crore.
He likewise laid the foundation stones of Orvakal Industrial Area in Kurnool and Kopparthy Industrial Area in Kadapa with a total investment of over ₹4,920 crore.
Jointly developed by National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) and Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (APIIC), these modern multi-sector industrial hubs have plug-and-play infrastructure and walk-to-work concept.
These centers are expected to attract ₹21,000 crore in investment and create around one million jobs, boosting industrial development and global competitiveness in the southern state’s Rayalaseema region.
The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the six-lane greenfield expressway from Sabbavaram to Sheelanagar at a cost of over ₹960 crore. Further, the PM inaugurated the four-lane Pileru-Kalur section road extending from Kadapa – Nellore border to CS Puram and the four-lane Rail over Bridge (ROB) between Gudivada and Nujella railway stations on NH-165.
Further, Mr. Modi laid the foundation and inaugurated railway projects worth over ₹1,200 crore.
He laid the foundation stone for the fourth Kothavalasa-Vizianagaram railway line and the railway flyover between Pendurthi and Simhachalam North.
He started doubling of Kottavalasa-Boddavara section and Shimiliguda-Gorapur section.
In the power sector, the Prime Minister inaugurated GAIL India Limited’s Srikakulam-Angul gas pipeline, which was built at a cost of around ₹ 1,730 crore and stretched about 124 km in Andhra Pradesh and 298 km in Odisha.
Similarly, he inaugurated Indian Oil’s 60 TMTPA (thousand metric tonnes per annum) LPG bottling plant in Chittoor, set up with an investment of around ₹ 200 crore.
PM Modi further inaugurated the Advanced Night Vision Products Factory at Nimmalur, Krishna district, set up by Bharat Electronics Limited with an investment of around ₹360 crore.
The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid this foundation after returning to Kurnool after visiting the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam at Srisailam in Nandyal district.
“PM Modi performed Rudrabhishekam with Panchamuralu (sacred mixture of five ingredients – cow’s milk, cow’s curd, cow’s ghee, honey and sugar),” BJP sources at the temple said.
Chief Minister Naidu and Pawan Kalyan accompanied him to the shrine.
Later, PM Modi visited the Sree Shivaji Spoorthi Kendra, a memorial complex that includes a meditation hall with models of the four iconic forts – Pratapgad, Rajgad, Raigad and Shivneri – placed at the four corners. In the center stands a statue of the legendary king Chhatrapati Shivaji in deep meditation.
A meditation hall run by the Sree Shivaji Memorial Committee was set up in the temple town to commemorate Chhatrapati Shivaji’s historic visit to the holy shrine in 1677.
Published – 16 Oct 2025 17:53 IST
