Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday (October 2, 2026) unveiled the ₹1-lakh-crore ‘Global Horticulture Hub - Rayalaseema Rising’ project, promising irrigation, technology, processing and export support to the region’s farmers. “It’s a journey from a drought-prone region known for migration and water scarcity to a potential global fruit bowl,” he said.
Mr. Naidu and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman laid the foundation stones for the hub and for the Indian School of Agriculture (ISA), which Reliance Industries will help set up and run, at a public gathering in Madanapalle. The Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms. Sitharaman for the Centre’s support. “October 2, 2026, will go down in the history of Rayalaseema. The step we are taking today will change the destiny of farmers in the region,” he said.
Ms. Sitharaman, who spoke in Telugu, said that the two initiatives were a step towards turning Rayalaseema into “Ratnala Seema”, a land of gems and prosperity.
About ₹40,000 crore of the project cost would come from government support and ₹60,000 crore from private investment, Mr. Naidu said. The project would cover 5,860 villages in 201 clusters across 10 districts, including the erstwhile Prakasam district, and bring an additional six lakh acres under horticulture. It will be implemented in three phases.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu presents a fruit basket to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the foundation stone ceremony in Madanapalle on Friday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
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