PM Modi Inaugurates Rs 13,000 Crore Projects in Tamil Nadu, Rides Metro with CM Vijay

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crore in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, October 11, 2026. He shared the stage and a metro ride with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, saying the Centre would continue to support the state's growth regardless of changes in government.

The projects cover metro rail, national highways, railways, ports, petroleum and education. Modi inaugurated the 15-km Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of Chennai Metro Phase II, built at a cost of about Rs 4,900 crore. He and Vijay travelled on the line from Porur Bypass to Poonamallee Bypass and back. The corridor includes a double-decker section and is meant to improve connectivity in Chennai's western suburbs.

National highway projects worth around Rs 3,700 crore were inaugurated or had foundations laid. These include sections of NH-744, the Madurai Ring Road and the Thiruvarur Bypass. Railway work included the Karaikal-Peralam line, flyovers in Coimbatore and five Amrit Bharat stations at Palani, Vellore Cantonment, Ambasamudram, Paramakkudi and Namakkal.

Port projects at Chennai Port, Kamarajar Port and V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi were included. Modi noted a separate decision to invest about Rs 17,000 crore to turn the Thoothukudi port into a mega container and green energy hub. A lubricant base oil project at the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited refinery in Manali was also part of the package.

At IIT Madras, Modi dedicated the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre and launched a mission to map more than 100 human brains into three-dimensional atlases at cellular resolution. He released C-STROKE, an atlas of more than 1,000 annotated microscopic sections from a stroke-affected brain.

Modi said the projects would make daily travel easier, strengthen industry and trade, and create jobs for young people. "We want to build a Tamil Nadu that continuously reaches new heights. And for this, whatever help is required from the Centre, we stand with you with full commitment," he said. Vijay sought release of outstanding funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme and approvals for high-speed rail and river-linking projects.

The visit was Modi's first major public appearance with Vijay since the actor-turned-politician became chief minister. Their joint metro ride and shared stage marked a moment of cooperation between the Centre and the state government. Modi also offered prayers at a temple on the IIT Madras campus and paid tribute to poet Subramania Bharati.

India's metro network has expanded from about 250 km in five cities in 2014 to more than 1,100 km across 25 cities. The new Chennai stretch adds to that growth. The port and highway work is intended to support Tamil Nadu's manufacturing and export base. The brain research initiative adds a scientific component to the infrastructure package.

For residents of Chennai and surrounding districts, the metro extension offers a concrete improvement in daily commuting once full operations begin. The larger set of projects will take years to complete. Their combined scale, and the public display of Centre-state coordination, set the terms for how infrastructure delivery in Tamil Nadu proceeds in the coming period.