NDA changed tradition of naming airports after one family: PM Modi takes swipe at Gandhis in Andhra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh and said India's aviation sector has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past 12 years, with the number of operational airports increasing from 74 in 2014 to 166 today, making air travel accessible well beyond the country's metropolitan centres.

In an apparent swipe at the Gandhi family, the Prime Minister said previous governments had a practice of naming airports after members of a single family, but asserted that the NDA government had changed that approach.

"Before, whenever airports were built, they were often named after members of a single family. We have changed that tradition. We named the airport in Ayodhya after Maharishi Valmiki, and in Punjab, we named the airport after Sant Ravidas Ji," he said.

Modi said the Centre had decided to name it after freedom fighter Sri Alluri Sitarama Raju. He said every passenger travelling through the airport from Andhra Pradesh, across India and around the world would draw inspiration from Alluri Sitarama Raju's ideals of public service and service to the nation.

The Prime Minister said the projects launched in Andhra Pradesh include an airport, road connectivity initiatives and energy-related infrastructure, describing them as symbols of the state's rapid pace of development. He congratulated the people of Andhra Pradesh and said the new projects would accelerate economic growth and improve connectivity across the region.

Modi commended Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, saying the state had demonstrated a unique vision by simultaneously building world-class infrastructure and promoting tribal culture.

Highlighting India's maritime ambitions, Modi said the country is steadily strengthening its Blue Economy with a vision to develop the entire coastline as a Coastal Economic Corridor. He said existing ports from Visakhapatnam to Krishnapatnam are being modernised, while new ports at Mulapeta and Ramayapatnam are under development to further enhance maritime infrastructure and economic activity.

He added that Andhra Pradesh is also witnessing rapid expansion of its highway and expressway network, with projects such as the Visakhapatnam–Raipur Expressway providing fresh momentum to regional development. Railway projects worth nearly Rs 1 lakh crore are currently under implementation in the state, he said, to improve connectivity with major industrial hubs and strengthen the transport network.

Emphasising the importance of future-ready industries, the Prime Minister said India is focusing on advanced technology sectors to harness the talent of its youth. He described the laying of the foundation stone for a new semiconductor plant in Visakhapatnam as a major step towards building a robust semiconductor ecosystem, generating high-skilled employment and advancing the country's technological self-reliance.