Modi, Vijay back Tamil Nadu growth with Rs 13,000 crore project push

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay jointly launched major projects in Tamil Nadu and underscored cooperation. Their public warmth and shared messaging signalled a new emphasis on Centre-state coordination for development.Image used for representational purposes onlyChennai,Oct 11, 2026 21:38 ISTPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised Tamil language and culture, invoked the Thirukkural and said he would work with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to take forward the state's development. During his one-day visit to Tamil Nadu, Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth about Rs 13,000 crore and travelled on a Metro train with Vijay.Vijay said the Union and state governments must work together so that the benefits reach people directly. In his address at the official event, he sought steps to make Tamil the principal language of the Madras High Court, asked for the release of Rs 5,110 crore in outstanding central funds under the SSA scheme without conditions, and pushed for approvals for major transport projects across the state.Modi's first visit to Tamil Nadu after the April Assembly polls also saw a visible show of warmth between the two leaders. Vijay received the prime minister at the airport and saw him off when he left for Delhi. Modi twice ensured that they jointly inaugurated scheduled projects, and the chief minister also accompanied him on his visit to a temple. Earlier, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami was among those who received Modi at the airport.In his speech, Vijay said, "When the union and state governments work together, its benefit should directly reflect in the lives of the people, and that is our approach." He added, "Our government has transformed the political landscape and ushered in a new political chapter having successfully completed more than 100 days; we are striving to establish a corruption-free and transparent administration rooted in social justice." He also sought early sanction for Phase 3 of the Chennai Metro project covering about 65 km, reconsideration of Metro proposals for Coimbatore and Madurai, an inter-state Metro line from Hosur to Bommasandra near Bengaluru, and high-speed rail corridors from Chennai to Kanyakumari and from Chennai to Coimbatore. Vijay's cooperative approach comes against the backdrop of the previous DMK government's strained ties with the Union government and the Governor's office on several issues, including NEET. Modi said his faith in two strengths of democracy had grown over his 25 years as head of government, including his time as Gujarat chief minister. "First - the people of the country. Second - cooperative federalism. I have always followed the mantra that the development of the nation comes through the development of the states," he said. Referring to Tamil Nadu, he said he had worked earlier with late leaders M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa, and later with O Panneerselvam, Edappadi K Palaniswami and M K Stalin. "Governments may change, but my resolve for Tamil Nadu's development, serving its people remains steadfast. With this determination to serve people, together with CM Vijay, we are taking forward the development of the state," he said.Later, at the golden jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya in Chennai, Modi told students that his yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir decades ago had deepened his understanding of India's diversity and shaped his love for Tamil language and culture. He urged them to discover India, carry Tamil culture wherever they went and share Tamil poetry, stories and traditions with friends from different backgrounds. Praising the Thirukkural as a guide for life, he said, "Recently, I gifted Putin a Russian edition of the Thirukkural. The Thirukkural is a unique guide for those who wish to continue learning throughout their lives." He also said Thiruvalluvar taught that learning must be put into practice. Modi paid tribute to Mahakavi Bharati and said people in Varanasi still fondly remembered the poet's verse "Achamillai". During the visit, the prime minister inaugurated the Poonamallee-Vadapalani stretch of Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail Project built at a cost of around Rs 4,900 crore. He also laid the foundation stone and inaugurated National Highway projects, Amrit railway stations, several port-related initiatives and the Group II/III Lube Oil Base Stocks project at Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited's Manali refinery. Modi also visited the IIT-Madras campus and its brain research centre, and offered worship at a temple on the campus. The visit combined major infrastructure announcements with repeated assertions by both Modi and Vijay that cooperation between the Centre and the state should drive Tamil Nadu's development.- Ends