Yarada Hills Proposed as Vizag’s Next IT and Tourism Growth Hub
Visakhapatnam may soon witness a major shift in its industrial and urban development strategy, with plans being proposed to transform the scenic Yarada hills along the Bay of Bengal into a new IT and tourism hub.
The proposal seeks to expand the city’s growth beyond the established northern IT corridor by opening up nearly 650 acres of government land in the Gajuwaka Assembly constituency for integrated commercial, technology, and tourism development.
A key component of the plan is the construction of a bridge near Visakhapatnam Port, aimed at addressing the long-standing connectivity issues affecting the Yarada region. Currently, the area is accessible only through a steep ghat road and restricted Port routes, limiting large-scale development and daily commuter movement.
The initiative gained traction after Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao submitted a representation to the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA), requesting that the project be included in the Master Plan-2041.
As part of the proposal, the MLA suggested a bridge connecting the Port Venkateswara Swamy Temple in One Town with the Sagar Durga Temple at Yarada, creating a direct corridor between the city and the southern coastline.
Speaking about the project with The Coastal Times, Srinivasa Rao said the objective was to develop Yarada into a major IT and tourism destination in Visakhapatnam. He observed that the lack of proper connectivity had remained the biggest obstacle to the region’s growth.
“A direct bridge corridor will drastically reduce travel time and make the land suitable for large-scale IT and commercial operations,” he said, adding that the project could attract companies and professionals currently concentrated in the city’s northern IT belt.
Officials and industry representatives believe the availability of a large contiguous land parcel gives Yarada a strategic advantage over saturated IT clusters such as Madhurawada and Rushikonda, where expansion opportunities are becoming increasingly limited.
Industry experts said the proposed development could adopt a “Live-Work-Play” model by integrating residential zones, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and office spaces within a self-contained ecosystem.
The proposal also envisions a hybrid tourism-IT corridor featuring tech parks, eco-tourism infrastructure, sea-facing promenades, and resorts. Stakeholders believe the integrated approach could enhance Visakhapatnam’s appeal among investors, technology firms, and skilled professionals, while boosting the region’s blue economy.
Rushikonda IT Park Association vice-president O. Naresh Kumar said government investment in infrastructure such as the proposed bridge, high-speed digital connectivity, and public transport systems would be crucial in attracting major companies to the new corridor.
He noted that expansion into newer IT zones was essential for Visakhapatnam to maintain its status as one of Andhra Pradesh’s leading contributors to IT exports and industrial growth.
Srinivasa Rao said the proposed project also has the potential to generate substantial employment opportunities in Gajuwaka and nearby areas.
The proposal is currently awaiting consideration by the VMRDA as part of the ongoing consultations for Master Plan-2041.