PM Modi Announces Krishnapatnam Port Modernisation Within Coastal Economic Corridor Strategy

What Modi Announced

Prime Minister Modi outlined the ambitious vision of transforming the entire coastal stretch into an integrated economic corridor through the modernization of heritage ports from Visakhapatnam to Krishnapatnam and the construction of new maritime hubs at Mulapeta and Ramayapatnam. Speaking at the inauguration of Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district, Modi said that under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu and Pawan Kalyan, the entire NDA team is working for Andhra Pradesh at double the speed.

Strategic Vision: Coastal Economic Corridor

Referring to the rapid development of coastal Andhra, Modi said that the government's vision is to develop the entire region as a Coastal Economic Corridor. He said the Visakhapatnam–Raipur Expressway, expanded national highway network and ₹1 lakh crore worth of railway connectivity projects would significantly improve connectivity across the state.

He added that more than 70 railway stations were being modernised under the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan, integrating railways, ports and airports into a modern logistics network.

New Ports to Complement Modernisation

New ports are being developed at Mulapeta and Ramayapatnam to further boost maritime infrastructure and economic growth. These new ports—Mulapeta in Srikakulam, Ramayapatnam in Nellore, Machilipatnam in Krishna, and Kakinada SEZ—are set to transform the State's maritime infrastructure, backed by a Rs 400 crore allocation in the FY 2025-26 budget, with investments including Rs 100 crore for land acquisition at Mulapeta and Rs 100 crore funding for the first phase of Ramayapatnam.

Krishnapatnam Port: Current Status

Krishnapatnam Port is the largest private port on India's east coast, and one of only three ports in India equipped to receive capesize vessels. Owned and operated by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ), Adani Krishnapatnam Port Ltd is an all-weather deep water port located on the East Coast of India in Andhra Pradesh.

The port has an installed cargo handling capacity of 70 million tonnes, with coal accounting for the vast majority of imports, and has plans to expand the port's annual capacity to as much as 200 million tonnes per annum.

Krishnapatnam Industrial Area Development

Krishnapatnam node has been identified as a priority node in the state of Andhra Pradesh under Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC), with the site spread across two sites located about 60km apart, and the north and south sites together admeasuring approximately 14,200 acres.

The area of Phase-1 is 2,492 acres, within which the activation area is 2,139 acres. For the Krishnapatnam node, the estimated employment projection on completion of the first phase is around 98,000 of which about 58,000 persons are likely to be employed at the site itself.

What Comes Next

The modernisation announcement is a policy-level vision statement with no new specific sanctions or timelines announced for Krishnapatnam port itself. The focus remains on integrating Krishnapatnam within a broader coastal development framework that includes the new greenfield ports at Mulapeta and Ramayapatnam, expected to become operational between December 2026 and March 2027.

Implementation will depend on detailed project reports, environmental clearances, and funding arrangements to be decided separately. Modi stated that the NDA Government at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh are focusing on the Blue Economy, port development, industrial growth and more.