PM Modi launches more than ₹4800 crore in development projects in Tamil Nadu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone, launch, and dedicate a wide range of development projects worth over ₹4800 crore to the country during his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu on July 26 and 27. The government's dedication to improving southern India's infrastructure, regional connections, and cultural legacy is demonstrated by his visit.

The Prime Minister will go straight to Tuticorin on the evening of July 26 after returning from state visits to the Maldives and the United Kingdom. He will launch a number of significant infrastructure initiatives there that will raise Tamil Nadu's general standard of living, connectivity, logistics, and energy efficiency.

The opening of Tuticorin Airport's New Terminal Building, which was built at an estimated cost of ₹450 crore, would be one of the main events of his visit. The 17,340-square-meter terminal can accommodate up to 20 lakh people a year and 1,350 passengers during peak hours, with room to grow in the future. With its sustainable facilities and energy-efficient systems, it hopes to earn a GRIHA-4 sustainability grade, encouraging environmentally friendly aviation infrastructure and increasing regional tourism and business. A system for assessing green buildings is called GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment). It makes it easier to evaluate a building's performance using nationally recognized benchmarks or standards.

The Prime Minister will commit the country to two strategically important initiatives that will greatly enhance tourism and trade.

Significant improvements will also be made to the rail industry with the goal of shortening travel times and increasing freight flow.

There will be two significant roadway projects dedicated by PM Modi. The first is the NH-36's 50 km Sethiyathope–Cholapuram 4-laning, which was constructed at a cost of more than ₹2,350 crore. It is anticipated that this project, which consists of flyovers, bridges, and bypasses, will cut travel times between important delta regions by 45 minutes. In the second project, Tuticorin Port and the nearby industrial regions will be connected by 6-laning a 5.16-kilometer section of NH-138. It was constructed for about ₹200 crore and is anticipated to improve port-led industrial development and lower logistical costs.

The Prime Minister will open the North Cargo Berth-III at V.O. Chidambaranar Port, further enhancing port infrastructure. The ₹285 crore facility would increase cargo handling efficiency and handle the growing demand for dry bulk cargo with a capacity of 6.96 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA).

PM Modi will dedicate three significant rail development projects to the country. These include doubling the 21-kilometer Nagercoil Town–Kanniyakumari line, electrifying the 90-kilometer Madurai–Bodinayakkanur stretch, and doubling shorter but crucial connections like Tirunelveli–Melappalayam and Aralvaymozhi–Nagercoil Junction. When combined, these improvements will save travel times, improve the flow of people and goods, and fortify ties between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, a nearby state.

Additionally, the Prime Minister will lay the cornerstone for Units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant's Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS). A high-capacity 400 kV double-circuit transmission line is part of the ₹550 crore project, which would improve the national grid and provide a consistent supply of renewable energy to Tamil Nadu and other states.

In order to participate in the Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival at the famous Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple, PM Modi will visit Tiruchirappalli on July 27. He will commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of his nautical journey to Southeast Asia and create a commemorative currency in honor of one of India's most famous monarchs, Emperor Rajendra Chola I.

The occasion will also mark the start of work on the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a masterpiece of Chola architecture. During his reign from 1014 to 1044 CE, Rajendra Chola I is renowned for his vast naval exploits and for building a metropolis that epitomized both administrative prowess and spiritual devotion.

Since Rajendra Chola's birth star, Thiruvathirai, debuted on July 23, this year's Aadi Thiruvathirai has particular meaning. To further emphasize the region's religious and cultural heritage, the celebration also pays tribute to the 63 Nayanmars' legacy and Tamil Shaiva Bhakti customs.