Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has said that the Inorbit Mall being developed by the Raheja Group in Visakhapatnam at an estimated cost of ₹600 crore will be the biggest in South India, and a new landmark in the city.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy laid the foundation stone for the construction of the mall, near the Port Hospital, at Kailasapuram on August 1 (Tuesday).
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the mall, to be constructed in an area of 13 acres, would generate 8,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly.
“The developers have been given 17 acres of land, and they plans to utilise the remaining four acres for the development of IT space on 2.5 acres and a convention centre of international standards on the remaining extent,” he said.
He said the Adani Data Centre in the city, the Bhogapuram International Airport in Vizianagaram district, and the seaport in Srikakulam district, for which he had laid stone recently, would change the face of the North Andhra region.
The Oberoi Group and the Mayfair Group of hotels were already in the process of setting up Star hotels in Visakhapatnam, he said.
Luxury hotels
“Now, the Raheja Group has also come up with plans to construct Star hotels in Visakhapatnam, as also in other places in the State. It is already in the process of setting up an Electronics and Textile Park at Hindupur in Anantapur district. On completion, the park will provide jobs to 15,000 people,” the Chief Minister said.
Responding to the offer from Raheja Group president Neel Raheja during his speech earlier, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said, “We are just a phone call away. We will support you in every way.”
Earlier, Mr. Neel Raheja spoke of the company’s association with former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
“The Raheja Group has 22 department stores in India, including in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Rajahmundry, and a few more are being planned,” he said, and expressed the desire to “do a lot more in Vizag in the IT sector and luxury hotels.”
The Inorbit Mall in the city would be comparable to international malls, he said, and thanked the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) for providing them the land.
CEO of Raheja Group Rajneesh Mahajan spoke.
Later, the Chief Minister also laid the stone for various development projects of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC).
Ministers B. Satyanarayana, V. Rajini, G. Amarnath, and A. Suresh, TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy, Member of Parliament M.V.V. Satyanarayana, MLAs and officials were present.
