CM Naidu secures INR1 trillion to realise his dream city

On the banks of the Krishna River, in Andhra Pradesh, in South India, a world class capital city, called Amaravati, is coming up. It has a rich and ancient history dating back to the third century BCE, it was a prosperous centre of the Satavahana dynasty, which ruled the Deccan region for several centuries.

- By S VENKAT NARAYAN OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has secured a whopping INR1 trillion to restart the construction of Amaravati, his dream capital city that was abruptly abandoned six years ago.

The long-cherished project is now set for a grand relaunch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mid-April, marking Naidu’s dramatic political and administrative comeback.

Amaravati will be the fourth brand new capital city being built in India since it became independent in 1947. The oth-ers are: Chandigarh (built in 1966 as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana), Gandhinagar (Gujarat, built in 1970), and Naya Raipur (Atal Nagar in Chhattisgarh, built in 2012).

Talking about the kind of city he wants to build, Naidu says: “Amaravati will be a people’s capital, built with global standards and a sustainable vision for the future. I want Amaravati to be one of the top five cities in the world, competing with global industrial and administrative hubs.”

“This will not just be a capital. It will be an economic powerhouse, creating jobs and prosperity for generations. We are building Amaravati as a smart city with world-class infrastructure, integrat-ing technology in governance and daily life.”

Amaravati will be a green city with 50% green cover, waterways and eco-friendly urban planning. This city will stand as a symbol of Telugu pride and resilience, built for the future but rooted in our rich heritage,” he adds.

His plans include high-speed internet, underground utilities, green energy, and AI-driven governance. Sustainability has been a core focus, with planned water-ways, public parks, and renewable energy projects.

This isn’t the first time Naidu has shaped a capital’s destiny. As Chief Minister in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he transformed Hyderabad into a global IT hub.