Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju visited the new terminal of Veer Savarkar International Airport in Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) on Saturday, 20 June 2026, during the Pragati Padh Yatra — a government-led review of developmental works carried out over the past 12 years across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Rijiju described the modernised airport terminal as 'a symbol of the Modi Government's commitment to strengthening connectivity, expanding infrastructure and unlocking new opportunities for the people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.' He also paid floral tributes at the airport to Veer Savarkar, the independence activist and Hindutva ideologue after whom the facility is named, reflecting on his 'enduring contribution to the nation.'

Context

The visit was part of the Pragati Padh Yatra, a structured review programme through which central government representatives assess on-ground infrastructure progress in the island Union Territory. The yatra aligns with the BJP's #12YearsOfSeva campaign, which marks a dozen years of governance milestones since the party came to power at the Centre in 2014.

The airport serves as the primary air gateway to the archipelago. Its new terminal is intended to handle higher passenger volumes, improve traveller amenities, and support the islands' growing role in both tourism and strategic maritime planning.

Policy Backdrop

Successive central budgets since 2014 have prioritised physical infrastructure in island Union Territories under the twin frameworks of the Act East Policy and India's maritime-security agenda. The UDAN regional connectivity scheme, launched in 2016, explicitly included island airports to improve affordable air links for remote communities.

The National Infrastructure Pipeline, announced in 2019, further allocated funds for airport expansion in remote and strategically significant locations, of which Andaman and Nicobar is a priority node. The renaming of Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram is part of a broader pattern of place-name changes accompanying infrastructure projects to reinforce historical and cultural narratives.

Stakeholders and Impact

Residents of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands depend heavily on air connectivity for travel, medical access, and commerce, given the archipelago's geographic isolation. A modernised terminal with expanded capacity directly reduces congestion and improves travel experience for this population.

Tourism operators stand to benefit from increased seat availability and improved airport infrastructure, which can encourage higher footfall from the mainland and international visitors. The strategic dimension — enhanced connectivity for defence logistics and maritime surveillance — is equally significant for the region's role in India's Indo-Pacific calculus.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the next phase of terminal capacity expansion and the addition of new flight routes under the UDAN scheme. Parliamentary scrutiny of funding utilisation for island infrastructure projects is also expected, with opposition members likely to raise questions on timelines, cost overruns, and connectivity gaps in forthcoming sessions.

Rijiju's visit signals continued high-level political attention to the islands, and further ministerial or administrative reviews under the Pragati Padh Yatra framework are anticipated as the government builds its governance record heading into the next electoral cycle.