Mulapeta Port, Bhogapuram Airport to Drive Growth in Proposed VRZ
Work at Mulapeta port is also progressing at high speed, with trial berthing expected in March and commissioning slated for June.
Visakhapatnam: The upcoming Bhogapuram International Airport in Vizianagaram district and Mulapeta seaport in Srikakulam are poised to become the primary growth engines of the proposed Visakhapatnam Regional Zone (VRZ), with both projects advancing rapidly towards commissioning. The Bhogapuram airport, which completed calibration tests in June, has been receiving various aircraft for mandatory trials since last week. The Airport Authority of India has set up an office on-site and is supervising the process. “The airport is likely to be commissioned in April next year,” a senior airport official confirmed. Work at Mulapeta port is also progressing at high speed, with trial berthing expected in March and commissioning slated for June. The port has already attracted mega industries with proposed investments of around ₹2 lakh crore, including ExxonMobil, Haldia Petrochemicals, UK-based Yamna, and Kalyani Steels. These firms are in talks with the Centre and the state government over incentives before beginning construction. Around Bhogapuram, major connectivity upgrades, large townships, an IT park, and a convention centre are planned to support the airport ecosystem. VMRDA chairman Pranav Gopal said seven major road projects linking Visakhapatnam to the airport will be completed by May. Together with nearly 40 other major projects, the airport and seaport are expected to transform the region by boosting industrial growth and generating large-scale employment.