More than 13,000 students turned a runway inauguration into a living canvas of tribal heritage — and Prime Minister Narendra Modi took note. At the inauguration of Bhogapuram Airport in Andhra Pradesh, a mass performance of the traditional Dhinsa dance left the Prime Minister visibly moved, as he acknowledged the moment in a post on Saturday, 1 August 2026. Writing in Telugu, Prime Minister Modi said the spirited Dhinsa performance by over 13,000 students 'touched his heart' — 'నా హృదయాన్ని ఆకట్టుకుంది' — and called it a testament to the warmth of Andhra Pradesh's people, the cultural richness of the state, and above all, 'the great traditions of our tribal communities.'

Dhinsa at the departure gate: why the performance mattered

The Dhinsa is no ceremonial afterthought. It is one of the most vigorous and visually distinctive folk dance forms associated with the tribal communities of Andhra Pradesh — characterised by rhythmic footwork, synchronised movement, and a collective energy that scales powerfully with numbers. Staging it with more than 13,000 student performers at a greenfield airport inauguration transformed a civic milestone into a cultural statement: that infrastructure and identity can share the same stage. Bhogapuram Airport, located in Vizianagaram district, is a greenfield international airport project that forms part of India's broader push to expand regional air connectivity in states where aviation infrastructure has historically lagged. Andhra Pradesh, home to a significant and diverse tribal population, has long been a focal point for development initiatives aimed at bridging geographic and economic gaps.

Modi's pattern of cultural recognition at infrastructure events

This moment fits a deliberate pattern in Prime Minister Modi's public communications. Across infrastructure launches — from highway dedications to port inaugurations — he has consistently spotlighted regional folk traditions, using them to frame development not as a purely economic exercise but as one rooted in local identity. Acknowledging tribal communities by name in this context carries added weight: it signals that the communities most historically distant from modern infrastructure are being centred in the narrative of its arrival. For Andhra Pradesh, the optics are layered. A new international airport promises connectivity and commerce. But 13,000 students performing Dhinsa at its gates sends a message that the state's cultural inheritance — especially its tribal heritage — is not being left behind in the rush toward modernity. As Bhogapuram Airport moves toward operational milestones, the question worth watching is whether the cultural visibility granted to tribal traditions at moments like this translates into sustained policy attention for those communities in the years ahead.