PM Modi launches Chennai Metro Phase‑II stretch and ₹13,000‑crore development projects

On Sunday, October 11, 2026, Chennai woke up to a flurry of activity as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived for a tightly‑packed one‑day schedule. The highlight? The ceremonial launch of the Poonamallee‑Vadapalani stretch – the very first link of the long‑awaited Phase II of Chennai Metro Rail.

At precisely noon, the inaugural train chugged out of the newly built Porur Bypass depot, with the Prime Minister and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay among the very first passengers. The crowd’s cheers mixed with the squeal of brakes, a moment that felt both historic and, in a way, almost ordinary – just a train starting its journey.

After the ribbon‑cutting, Modi took a brief pause for prayer at the Jalakandeshwarar Temple tucked inside the IIT Madras campus. The visit to the temple, though brief, underscored the Prime Minister’s nod to local culture before he moved on to the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, a research hub that showcases the city’s scientific aspirations.

Later that afternoon, a public function at the Kendriya Vidyalaya ground turned the focus from transport to a broader vision. Modi, alongside CM Vijay, laid foundation stones for a suite of development projects totalling more than ₹13,000 crore. The portfolio spans new highways, railway upgrades, port enhancements, petroleum initiatives and cutting‑edge scientific research – a comprehensive push aimed at bolstering Tamil Nadu’s infrastructure.

The day’s itinerary wrapped up at the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam, where the Prime Minister addressed the golden jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School. His speech, peppered with anecdotes about education and youth empowerment, resonated with the assembled students and faculty.

In all, the visit stitched together moments of symbolic significance – from a train’s first run to the laying of stone for massive development schemes – painting a picture of a city on the cusp of rapid transformation.