PM Modi Lays Foundation Stone for Krishnapatnam Industrial Area (KRIS City)

What Happened

Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for the Krishnapatnam Industrial Area, marking a formal launch for the smart city that will be part of the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, attracting thousands of crores in investment and creating millions of industrial jobs in Andhra Pradesh. The ceremony took place in Tirupati District on 8 January 2025.

Who Decided and Why

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister approved the project proposals for the construction of various trunk infrastructure components in Phase 1 of Krishnapatnam Industrial Area with an estimated cost of ₹2,139.44 crores. The Prime Minister emphasized that the government views urbanization as an opportunity and aims to make Andhra Pradesh an example of new-age urbanization.

The development offers world-class infrastructure, plug-and-play facilities, and seamless connectivity via NH-16, Krishnapatnam Port, and Tirupati Airport.

Project Scope and Scale

The Krishnapatnam Industrial Area (KRIS City) is a flagship project under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme, envisioned as a greenfield industrial smart city. The area of Phase-1 is 2,492 acres, within which the activation area is 2,139 acres. The North site contains approximately 10,835 acres available for development.

For the development of the Activation Area in Phase–1, the North Node has been selected to maximize the benefit of land under the ownership of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) to enable early commencement of plan implementation activities.

Investment and Employment Impact

The project is set to attract significant manufacturing investments of approximately ₹10,500 crore and is also projected to create around 1 lakh direct and indirect jobs. This greenfield project is expected to generate 4.67 lakh jobs overall, reshaping the region's economic landscape.

KRIS City aims to attract sectors like textiles, food processing, automobiles, electronics, and engineering.

Construction Timeline and Next Steps

Environmental clearance was received in 2022, and the EPC contract was signed in February 2024. The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone in January 2025. The Krishnapatnam node is under construction and is expected to deliver plug-and-play infrastructure by late 2026.

Phase 1 is targeting 2,500 acres by February 2027. NICDIT has released ₹531.36 crore of the ₹2,139.43 crore allocated for Phase 1 trunk infrastructure. Roads, drainage and water pipeline infrastructure works are ongoing.

Regional Connectivity

KRIS City is developed under the Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) on the framework of PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. Krishnapatnam Railway station is 15 km away from the North node, with Gudur Railway junction 40 km away. Tirupati International Airport is 90 km from the northern node and Chennai airport is 170 km away. Krishnapatnam Port is 10 km from the North node.