PM Modi to unveil Rs 13,000-cr development package in Chennai, metro expansion in focus
New Delhi, Oct 10 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Chennai on Sunday to inaugurate development projects, dedicate infrastructure assets to the nation and lay foundation stones for new initiatives worth more than Rs 13,000 crore, covering metro rail, highways, railways, ports, petroleum and scientific research, as the Centre seeks to accelerate infrastructure development and strengthen connectivity across Tamil Nadu.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office on Saturday, Modi will undertake a ride on the Chennai Metro between Porur Bypass and Poonamallee Bypass stations and back at around 11.30 am on October 11. He will subsequently offer prayers at the Jalakandeswarar Temple at around 12.15 pm and visit the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras). At around 1.30 pm, he will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stones for projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crore and address a gathering. His scheduled engagements will conclude with participation in the golden jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School at around 3 pm.
The inauguration of the Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail project will be among the principal highlights of the visit. Built at a cost of around Rs 4,900 crore, the corridor features a distinctive 3.7-km double-decker structure and advanced signalling systems designed to support driverless operations. The new stretch is expected to improve connectivity between Chennai's expanding western suburbs and the city centre, reduce commuting time and provide an additional boost to the city's public transport network.
The metro project forms part of a wider infrastructure programme covering road and rail connectivity, port modernisation, industrial capacity and scientific research. In the highways sector, Modi will inaugurate projects and lay foundation stones for works worth around Rs 3,700 crore, including the 36-km, four-laned Vadugapatti-Therkuvenganallur section of National Highway 744 and the 30-km, four-laned Madurai Ring Road section of NH-744A. These projects are expected to improve access to pilgrimage destinations, industrial hubs and commercial centres, facilitate the movement of goods and passengers and ease congestion in and around Madurai.
The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the four-lane Thiruvarur Bypass on the Nagapattinam-Thanjavur section of NH-83. The bypass is intended to provide an alternative route around the town, improve regional connectivity and enable smoother traffic movement. Railway projects worth more than Rs 750 crore will also feature in the programme.
Modi will dedicate the Karaikal-Peralam railway line to the nation and inaugurate three rail flyovers in Coimbatore and neighbouring areas. The flyovers are expected to reduce delays at busy level crossings, improve road safety and ease congestion. He will also inaugurate five redeveloped railway stations at Palani, Vellore Cantonment, Ambasamudram, Paramakkudi and Namakkal under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, which aims to modernise station infrastructure and improve passenger amenities. Maritime infrastructure will constitute another significant component of the visit, with projects planned at Chennai Port, Kamarajar Port and V.O. Chidambaranar Port.
The initiatives are aimed at expanding cargo-handling capacity, improving logistics efficiency and strengthening Tamil Nadu's position in maritime trade. At Chennai Port, Modi will inaugurate four projects comprising a paved storage yard, four export-import godowns, an upgraded cruise terminal and a Seafarers Club. The facilities are expected to improve cargo storage and handling, expand warehousing capacity, modernise cruise passenger infrastructure and provide better welfare and recreational amenities for seafarers and other maritime personnel. At V.O. Chidambaranar Port, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for eight development projects designed to expand cargo and container-handling capacity, improve cargo evacuation and logistics and create infrastructure to support the transition towards cleaner maritime energy.
At Kamarajar Port, he will inaugurate the Coal Berth-3 project and lay the foundation stone for capital dredging works for Stage II of Phase I of the container terminal. The projects are intended to strengthen port operations and improve the capacity to handle growing cargo volumes. The petroleum sector will receive a further investment boost with the foundation stone for a Group II/III Lube Oil Base Stocks project at the existing Manali refinery of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited.
Estimated to cost around Rs 1,620 crore, the project will have an annual production capacity of 270,000 metric tonnes and manufacture high-quality base stocks used in premium lubricants. The initiative is aimed at strengthening domestic production capabilities and supporting the Indian lubricants industry. Scientific research and advanced neuroscience will provide another major dimension to the visit. Modi will dedicate the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras to the nation and launch a global scientific mission to map more than 100 human brains into three-dimensional atlases at cellular resolution, covering the human lifespan from the foetal stage to old age.
The initiative is intended to deepen scientific understanding of the human brain and strengthen international research capabilities in neuroscience. The Prime Minister will also release C-STROKE, described as a pioneering human ischaemic stroke atlas containing more than 1,000 annotated microscopic sections from a stroke-affected brain.
The resource is expected to assist researchers worldwide in investigating the mechanisms of stroke and identifying potential new therapeutic targets. Together, the brain-mapping mission and the stroke atlas are expected to expand access to advanced research resources and support studies into neurological disorders and possible treatments. Modi will conclude his scheduled programme by participating in the golden jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, marking 50 years of the institution's contribution to education.
The school has sought to combine academic learning with discipline, cultural values, character-building and holistic development under its motto, "Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye", meaning knowledge that liberates. The Prime Minister's visit brings together a broad portfolio of transport infrastructure, industrial investment, port development, railway modernisation and scientific research. The projects are expected to improve connectivity within Tamil Nadu, strengthen logistics and manufacturing capabilities and expand the state's research infrastructure. The Chennai Metro inauguration, in particular, is set to be a key development for commuters in the city's growing western corridor, while the wider package seeks to reinforce the state's transport networks and economic infrastructure.
UNI SKA ATP AAB
