Transforming Tamil Nadu: The Modi Govt’s Push for Infrastructure, Welfare and Inclusive Growth

With elections in Tamil Nadu on the anvil,the baseless Aryan Invasion Theory,declaring North Indians as ‘foreign settlers or invaders’ and South Indians as the Dravidians, the ‘original’ inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent, has been vigorously peddled by the DMK,in the last few months. It is not surprising that Stalin is using the same rhetoric that the British used,to divide and rule. But the Tamizh people are very wise and have now begun to see through Stalin-istic propaganda, which reaches a crescendo, each time there are elections in Tamil Nadu. With no flattering report card to show,Stalin and the DMK have always played the North versus South card. 2026 is no different. The DMK did not support the Modi government on the 131st Constitutional Amendment,to give 33% reservation to Women, citing a flimsy reason that the Amendment sought to compromise Southern States. The North versus South card was pushed with brazen impunity to deny Women their due. Over 3.5 crore Women in Tamil Nadu should never forget how the DMK betrayed them. Also, Delimitation would have raised Tamil Nadu’s seats in the Lok Sabha from 39 to 50 and the percentage too,would have risen from 7.18% to 7.23%. So by defeating the aforesaid Amendment, it is none other than MK Stalin who compromised the interests of Tamil Nadu.    

Speaking of governance, Stalin’s flood management track record, for instance, post Cyclone Michaung, was a complete disaster and the entire rescue and relief work was carried out largely by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The apex body for disaster management is the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). NDRF functions under NDMA. The Chairman of NDMA is Prime Minister Modi. While the Modi government was helping flood affected people,each time Tamil Nadu was ravaged,Stalin was blissfully ignorant, being the proverbial Nero.Not only flood management, even otherwise, DMK has a very poor track record in handling Tamil Nadu's economy, which is reeling under debt burden of well over Rs 11 lakh crore, including loans taken from the RBI. Also, Power DISCOMs,Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd (TANGEDCO)  and other utilities in Tamil Nadu have accumulated debt of over Rs 4 lakh crore, with a looming electricity crisis. The DMK has steadily pushed the State into the throes of potential bankruptcy, by borrowing rampantly, through bonds.

Interestingly, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, the Union Government has significantly ramped up investments in Tamil Nadu, focusing on infrastructure modernization, welfare delivery and economic integration and extended every possible support to Tamil Nadu. Despite Tamil Nadu being governed by non-BJP Parties for the longest time, Central schemes have delivered tangible benefits to millions. Infrastructure funding to the State has tripled compared to the previous decade, with over 4100 km of National Highways constructed since 2014. Recent visits by PM Modi in 2025 and 2026 saw the inauguration of projects worth thousands of Crores,underscoring the commitment to “Viksit Tamil Nadu” as part of “Viksit Bharat.” From highways and railways to ports and airports, alongside flagship welfare schemes like PMAY, Ujjwala, Ayushman Bharat and Jal Jeevan Mission, the Modi government’s interventions have aimed to bridge gaps in connectivity, health, housing and rural development. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and related ministries have transformed the State’s road network.  In March 2026, PM Modi laid the foundation for two major projects, the four-laning of the Marakkanam–Puducherry section of NH-332A (over Rs 2100 crore) to boost coastal tourism and trade and the four-laning of Paramakudi Ramanathapuram stretch of NH-87 (over Rs 1800 crore) to improve pilgrims’ access to Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi while facilitating agricultural and marine product movement.

Earlier, in July 2025, two key highway stretches were inaugurated, namely the 50-km Sethiyathope–Cholapuram section of NH-36 (Rs 2350 crore) under Vikravandi–Thanjavur corridor and the 5.16-km six-laning of NH-138 Thoothukudi Port Road (Rs 200 crore). These projects ease cargo movement, reduce travel times and support industrial growth in the delta region. Additionally, 370 km of rural roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) were inaugurated in March 2026, enhancing last-mile connectivity.

Railways have seen parallel upgrades. Between 2014 and 2024, 1302 km of new tracks were commissioned, alongside 2152 km of electrification,achieving 97% electrification overall, up from a slower pace pre-2014. Over 687 rail flyovers and under-bridges have improved safety. In 2025-26, PM Modi dedicated projects including the electrification of the 90-km Madurai–Bodinayakkanur line (Rs 99 crore) and the Chennai Beach–Chennai Egmore 4th line, which boosts suburban rail capacity for daily commuters, IT professionals, students and traders. Eight stations were redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (Morappur, Bommidi, Srivilliputtur, Sholavandan, Manaparai, Pollachi Junction, Karaikkudi Junction and Thiruvarur Junction), with 77 stations Statewide being modernized to blend comfort, accessibility and local heritage. 

New train services linking Nagercoil, Coimbatore, Rameswaram, Tirunelveli, Mayiladuthurai and Karaikkudi were flagged off to promote tourism and trade.Aviation and ports have also advanced. The new terminal at Thoothukudi Airport, inaugurated in July 2025 at around Rs 450 crore, can handle two million passengers annually. Salem Airport was operationalized under the UDAN scheme, while the New Integrated Terminal Building (Phase-1) at Chennai International Airport was completed at Rs 1260 crore. Port infrastructure at V.O. Chidambaranar (Thoothukudi) received major upgrades, including the the Outer Harbour Container Terminal (foundation laid 2024), North Cargo Berth-III (Rs 285 crore, 6.96 MMTPA capacity) and the Thoothukudi International Container Terminal (inaugurated September 2024). These integrate with highways, railways and airports for multi-modal connectivity.

Urban mobility gained momentum with the Union Cabinet’s October 2024 approval of Chennai Metro Rail Project Phase-II as a Central sector Project. Spanning 118.9 km with 128 stations across three corridors (Madhavaram–SIPCOT, Light House–Poonamallee Bypass, Madhavaram–Sholinganallur), it is slated for completion by 2027 at a cost of Rs 63,246 crore. Once operational, Chennai’s total metro network will reach 173 km, with multi-modal integration at 21 locations. Complementary energy initiatives include a Rs 3700-crore city gas distribution network and an Indian Oil Corporation lube blending plant in Chennai, one of the world’s largest, supporting PM Modi's “Make in India”, by reducing imports. 

The 2026 Union Budget further proposed Bengaluru–Chennai and Chennai–Hyderabad bullet train corridors, alongside positioning Tamil Nadu in rare earth corridors for advanced manufacturing. These align with Modi’s PM Gati Shakti initiative for seamless planning across sectors.The Modi government’s welfare schemes have reached millions in Tamil Nadu. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana,Urban (PMAY-U), 6.8 lakh houses were sanctioned by late 2024, with 5.87 lakh completed and delivered. Central assistance of Rs 11,185.30 crore was released (Rs 10,188.58 crore disbursed), providing pucca housing to urban poor. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has transformed clean cooking access. As of March 2025, 41 lakh LPG connections were released in Tamil Nadu, part of the national total exceeding 10.33 crore. Targeted subsidies (Rs 300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills) ensure affordability. Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) provides Rs 5 lakh annual health coverage per family. In Tamil Nadu, over 84 lakh beneficiaries have been verified with Ayushman cards. The scheme’s 2024 expansion covers all senior citizens aged 70+ regardless of income, benefiting lakhs in the State. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) offers Rs 6000 annually to eligible farmers in the State via direct benefit transfer. Nationally, over Rs 4.29 lakh crore has been disbursed to over  9 crore farmers by early 2026; Tamil Nadu’s farmers have received installments consistently, supporting income stability amid challenges like droughts.

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has delivered functional household tap connections (FHTC) to 1.12 crore rural homes in Tamil Nadu (about 90% coverage, up from 16.7% in 2019). Central support under PM Modi has enabled this, with high functionality rates (100% availability in surveyed villages, 83.7% overall pass rate for quality). Public institutions in TamilNadu also benefit from near-universal tap access.PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has benefited over 3.5 crore people in Tamil Nadu with free foodgrains, part of national coverage for 81 crore. Complementary schemes like PM Mudra Yojana and Jan Dhan have boosted financial inclusion and MSME credit.

Tamil Nadu’s inclusion in industrial corridors, textile clusters and proposed rare earth corridors by the Modi government,emphasize “cooperative federalism,” with Tamil Nadu poised for further gains through bullet trains, metro expansion and welfare saturation.In conclusion, the Modi government’s interventions, including the over Rs 3 lakh crore in infrastructure pipelines, millions of welfare beneficiaries and strategic connectivity,have laid a robust foundation for Tamil Nadu’s development. From Thoothukudi’s port-airport-highway integration to rural tap water and LPG access, these efforts reflect the vision of an equitable, modern India and an empowered Tamil Nadu, which has persistently been Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unrelenting focus.

Views expressed here are of the author. Sanju Verma is an Economist, National Spokesperson of the BJP and the Bestselling Author of ‘The Modi Gambit’.