Visakhapatnam, November 11, 2025
As the clock ticks down to the 30th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit on November 14-15, Visakhapatnam is unveiling a dazzling urban facelift orchestrated by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC)—a Rs 60-crore blitz of roads, footpaths, and beachfront bling that's not just a short-term sparkle for 3,000 global delegates but a blueprint for the port city's enduring transformation into a sustainable coastal hub. With 95% of works wrapped up in a frenetic three-month sprint, GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg on Monday toured key sites, underscoring that these enhancements will ripple far beyond the biennial investment extravaganza, priming Vizag for mega-events like the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and everyday livability upgrades.
The summit, themed "Building Bridges of Trust," will draw CEOs, ministers, and investors from over 50 nations to the Andhra University Grounds, spotlighting Andhra Pradesh's pitch as an investment magnet. But GVMC's prep isn't mere event dressing: It's a holistic infrastructure infusion blending engineering, horticulture, and public health arms, executed across 26 strategic stretches to weave functionality with flair. At the heart are 9.5 km of fresh bitumen roads, resurfaced to ease traffic snarls in high-density zones like the National Highway stretch and Thatichetlapalem Junction. Complementing this, 26 km of footpaths have been repaired and repainted for pedestrian safety, while 57 km of medians and curbs—plus newly installed grills—now sport vibrant hues and structural reinforcements, turning mundane dividers into visual anchors.
Beautification takes center stage along the iconic Beach Road and RK Beach, Vizag's postcard-perfect shoreline that will host summit-side strolls and networking schmoozes. High-intensity light poles and mechanized sand sweepers ensure 24/7 cleanliness, banishing the specter of sewage spills into the Bay of Bengal through upgraded pipelines and underground cabling that hides the city's wiring guts. New drinking water lines snake through the corridors, digital display screens flicker with event info at junctions, and mural arts—celebrating local motifs from fishing lore to industrial grit—adorn walls, infusing cultural soul into the concrete. Bus bays got a facelift with lane markings for smoother pickups, and horticultural tweaks like median greenery aim to combat urban heat islands in a city where temperatures routinely scorch 35°C.
Garg, during his inspection from Park Hotel via Siripuram Junction to the university grounds, was bullish on the blueprint's longevity. "These upgrades are designed to serve the city beyond the summit," he told reporters, flanked by zonal commissioners and engineering teams. "We're creating a sustainable environment that hosts not just the CII but future conferences and daily life—think cleaner beaches, seamless traffic, and green lungs that breathe easier." He spotlighted "Operation Lungs," a parallel drive clearing encroachments along the beach promenade and carving out vending zones to relocate hawkers without livelihood hits, ensuring the esplanade remains a vibrant, vendor-friendly promenade.
The Rs 60-crore tab, funded through municipal coffers and state grants, reflects Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's vision of Vizag as Andhra's growth engine—a nod to its port prowess and IT ambitions. Beyond aesthetics, the works tackle chronic pain points: Traffic decongestions at bottlenecks like Railway New Colony, flood-resilient footpaths post-monsoon woes, and eco-measures like sewage interception to safeguard marine life in the ecologically fragile Bay. GVMC's "SHE Teams"—Sanitation, Health, and Environment squads—are on perpetual patrol, with businesses roped in for waste management to keep the sheen intact for delegates who'll jet in via the spruced-up Airport Road.
Local voices echo the optimism. "It's not just for foreigners; my daily commute from MVP Colony to the beach feels reborn," said auto-rickshaw driver Raju Naidu, zipping along a freshly paved stretch. Environmentalists, however, temper the hype: Groups like the Vizag Environment Protection Group praise the green push but urge monitoring to prevent "event-only" fade-outs, citing past white elephants in summit preps. GVMC counters with a post-event audit plan, vowing to sustain ops like daily mechanized beach sweeps amid the promenade's 50,000-footfall weekends.
As Vizag polishes its global pitch—complete with hoardings heralding "Vibrant Visakhapatnam"—the CII Summit arrives at a pivotal juncture. With Andhra eyeing Rs 50 lakh crore in investments, these streets aren't just paved with good intentions; they're engineered for economic alchemy. Garg wrapped his tour with a citizen appeal: "Join us in keeping our city spotless—it's our shared legacy." In three days, when spotlights hit the university grounds, Vizag won't just host a summit; it'll showcase a city reborn, ready to rumble on the world stage.
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