CM Chandrababu Orders Bay City Plan from Kailasagiri to Bhogapuram
Synopsis
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has ordered officials to develop a Bay City corridor from Kailasagiri to Bhogapuram in Visakhapatnam, including a 303-acre Convention Centre, upgraded zoo, beach water sports, and spiritual-tourism development at Kailasagiri and Buddhist sites.
Key Takeaways
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu ordered officials on 5 June 2026 to develop a 'Bay City' from Kailasagiri to Bhogapuram in Visakhapatnam.
A Convention Centre is to be built on 303 acres of land held by the Greyhounds police force.
Kailasagiri is to be developed as both a spiritual and tourism destination.
Plans include beach water sports , modernisation of Visakhapatnam Zoo , and upgrades to the Erramatti Dibbalu red sand dunes and Buddhist heritage sites .
The review covered the Visakhapatnam Economic Region spanning nine districts , with collectors, ministers, and senior secretaries in attendance.
Ram Mohan Naidu participated, signalling potential central government involvement in funding.
The Chief Minister's Office of Andhra Pradesh announced on Friday, 5 June 2026 that Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to undertake action plans to develop the stretch from Kailasagiri in Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram as a integrated 'Bay City'. The directive came during a high-level review meeting on the Visakhapatnam Economic Region (VER), attended by collectors from nine districts, elected representatives, and senior officials from multiple departments.
Context
During the review, CM Naidu instructed that a Convention Centre be constructed on 303 acres of land belonging to the elite police force Greyhounds. He also directed that the Kailasagiri area be developed as both a spiritual and tourism destination, building on its existing identity as a prominent hilltop park and viewpoint overlooking the Bay of Bengal.
The Chief Minister further suggested developing beach water sports, modernising the Visakhapatnam Zoo, and making the Visakhapatnam Red Sand Dunes (Erramatti Dibbalu) and Buddhist heritage sites more attractive to draw larger numbers of tourists to the region.
Policy Backdrop
The Bay City vision is the latest chapter in Andhra Pradesh's post-bifurcation strategy to build economic and tourism infrastructure along its long coastline as an alternative growth engine to Hyderabad. During his earlier term from 2014 to 2019, Naidu had already pushed beach-front and hill-tourism upgrades for Kailasagiri and the Visakhapatnam–Chennai Industrial Corridor.
Since returning to power after the 2024 elections, the TDP-led government has revived and expanded that coastal-development agenda under the VER framework, which groups nine coastal districts for integrated economic planning.
Key Attendees and Stakeholders
The review meeting was attended by Union Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, State Ministers K. Acchennayudu and Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swami, VER Convenor and Industries Secretary Yuvaraj, Transport Special Chief Secretary M.T. Krishna Babu, Health Secretary Saurabh Gaur, Finance Secretary Piyush Kumar, IT Secretary Katamaneni Bhaskar, and Visakhapatnam District Collector Abhishikt Kishor.
Tourism operators, investors across the nine-district region, and Visakhapatnam's residents stand to be directly affected by the proposed infrastructure push, which spans hospitality, heritage, sports, and convention facilities.
What's Next
Officials are expected to prepare detailed project reports for each of the identified initiatives, including the 303-acre Convention Centre site and the tourism upgrades at Kailasagiri, the Red Sand Dunes, and Buddhist sites. Land-transfer approvals for the Greyhounds parcel and potential central government funding through tourism or infrastructure ministries will be closely watched in the coming months.
If the Bay City blueprint moves from directive to ground-level execution, it could reposition Visakhapatnam as one of India's premier coastal convention and tourism destinations, with cascading economic benefits for the wider nine-district economic region.
Point of View
Using high-visibility tourism and convention infrastructure to attract investors and generate local employment. The choice of Greyhounds land for a Convention Centre is politically significant — repurposing elite-force real estate for civilian economic use requires both bureaucratic dexterity and central coordination. Bringing Union Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu into a state-level review underlines the government's intent to leverage central funds for what is otherwise a state-driven project. The nine-district VER framework also signals that Visakhapatnam's growth is being positioned as a regional engine, not merely a city upgrade.
NationPress
22 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bay City project in Visakhapatnam?
The Bay City project is a plan directed by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to develop the coastal stretch from Kailasagiri in Visakhapatnam to Bhogapuram as an integrated urban, tourism, and convention hub along the Bay of Bengal.
Where will the new Convention Centre in Visakhapatnam be built?
CM Naidu has directed that the Convention Centre be built on 303 acres of land belonging to the Greyhounds, the elite Andhra Pradesh police force.
What tourism projects were announced for Visakhapatnam in June 2026?
The announced projects include developing Kailasagiri as a spiritual and tourism destination, introducing beach water sports, modernising the Visakhapatnam Zoo, and enhancing the Erramatti Dibbalu red sand dunes and Buddhist heritage sites.
What is the Visakhapatnam Economic Region?
The Visakhapatnam Economic Region is an administrative framework that groups nine coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh for integrated economic planning and development under the state government.
Who attended the Visakhapatnam Economic Region review meeting on 5 June 2026?
The meeting was attended by Union Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, state ministers K. Acchennayudu and Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swami, district collectors from nine districts, elected representatives, and senior secretaries from industries, transport, health, finance, and IT departments.
