December 2025
In short: Andhra Pradesh economy & infrastructure current affairs for December 2025.
Current Affairs — Andhra Pradesh › Economy & Infrastructure · 15 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu
Bilingual study notes for the Andhra Pradesh Police SI & Constable exams (SLPRB AP) by AP Police Hub, a product of Anvil Academy.
December 2025's Andhra Pradesh economy digest — the CM's push to complete the Polavaram National Project by July 2027 (ahead of Godavari Pushkaralu), 5G smartphones for 58,204 Anganwadi workers, India's first Aviation, Aerospace & Defence EduCity near Bhogapuram, the National Tourism Mart-2025 at Visakhapatnam, and Narsapuram Crochet Lace exports crossing ₹150 crore.
December 2025 — At a Glance
December 2025's economy-and-infrastructure story for Andhra Pradesh was anchored by irrigation and future-facing industry. The CM set an accelerated July 2027 deadline for the Polavaram National Project, the government moved to digitise grassroots child-welfare delivery with 5G phones for its Anganwadi network, and the state pushed a cluster-based, high-value future economy — an aviation-aerospace-defence education city near Bhogapuram, a national tourism business event at Visakhapatnam, and a post-Covid revival of the GI-tagged Narsapuram crochet-lace craft crossing ₹150 crore in exports.
1. Irrigation — Polavaram to be Completed by July 2027
An accelerated deadline before Godavari Pushkaralu 2027
- The directive — CM N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to complete the Polavaram Project by July 2027 — six months before the official December 2027 deadline — so it is operationally ready ahead of Godavari Pushkaralu 2027.
- What it is — Polavaram is a National Multipurpose Irrigation Project on the Godavari River, serving irrigation, drinking water, hydropower and flood mitigation, and is crucial for the Godavari–Krishna delta.
- Construction status — The headworks are 80% complete. The Diaphragm Wall is 78% done — 50,858 sq.m of a total 65,352 sq.m — with a target of February 2026.
- ECRF Dam — For the Earth-cum-Rockfill (ECRF) Dam, the Gap-1 embankment (rising from 25 m to 38.32 m) is to be finished by March 2026, while the Gap-2 target has been advanced to July 2027 (from the original December 2027).
- Storage & command area — Initial storage at height 41.11 m is 124.2 TMC; the final Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 45.72 m gives 194.6 TMC. The project creates a new command area of 7.2 lakh acres and stabilises 13.5 lakh acres of existing command.
Polavaram main canals — district-wise command area| Canal | Districts served | Command area |
|---|
| Left Main Canal (LMC) | East Godavari, Visakhapatnam | 4 lakh acres |
| Right Main Canal (RMC) | West Godavari, Krishna | 3.2 lakh acres |
- Land acquisition — Of the 1,00,099 acres required, 91,127 acres have been acquired; the remaining ~9,000 acres are targeted by March 2026.
- Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) — Of 38,060 Project-Displaced Families identified, 14,385 have been shifted and 23,675 are yet to shift; housing has been provided to 15,439 families with 18,921 pending — deadline March 2027.
- Key challenge — Inter-state coordination with Telangana and Chhattisgarh remains a key challenge for the project.
2. Welfare Tech — 5G Phones for 58,204 Anganwadi Workers
Digitising grassroots child-welfare delivery under ICDS
- What — The AP government will provide 5G smartphones to 58,204 Anganwadi workers at a total project cost of ₹75 crore, replacing malfunctioning 4G devices to enable real-time service delivery.
- Who it serves — The phones improve service to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services). About 1.25 lakh staff work across 55,204 Anganwadi centres in the state.
- Programme linkages — The devices support PM POSHAN, ICDS and the Poshan Tracker. AP's Women & Child Welfare Department secured an A++ rank and 4th position nationally in service delivery.
- Honorarium & minister — The Anganwadi worker honorarium was increased from ₹1,200 to ₹2,200. The initiative was announced by Minister Gummadi Sandhya Rani.
- Relevance — GS-2 (welfare schemes) and GS-3 (digital infrastructure / ICT in governance).
3. Aviation Skills — India's First AAD EduCity
An integrated Aviation, Aerospace & Defence education city near Bhogapuram
- What — HRD & IT Minister N. Lokesh announced India's first Integrated Aviation, Aerospace and Defence (AAD) EduCity, to be developed near Bhogapuram International Airport within one year, via an MoU between the GMR Group and the MANSAS Trust.
- The model — The MANSAS Trust provides 136 acres free of cost; the GMR Group is the developer; core infrastructure is targeted within 12 months; and roadshows begin February 2026 to attract global universities. It is an education–industry–research ecosystem (PPP + philanthropic: State + GMR + MANSAS Trust).
- Why it matters — It addresses the acute skills deficit in aviation/aerospace. India is among the fastest-growing aviation markets; passenger traffic is projected at 700 million annually, and the fleet is set to double to ~1,700 by 2030.
- AP's strategy — Cluster-based development, land at 99 paise for Fortune 500 investors, and a target of 20 lakh jobs in five years. Relevance: GS-2 and GS-3.
4. Tourism — National Tourism Mart-2025 at Visakhapatnam
A national tourism business event on 13–14 February 2026
- What — The AP government will host the National Tourism Mart-2025 at Visakhapatnam on 13–14 February 2026 with the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) — a two-day national-level tourism business event. A formal MoU was signed between the AP Tourism Department and ADTOI.
- Segments showcased — Coastal (Vizag beaches), spiritual (temples, Buddhist sites), heritage (historical monuments), eco-adventure (hills, trekking, water sports), and agency/tribal (Araku, Lambasingi, Maredumilli).
- Activities — B2B networking, business meetings, destination presentations, and FAM (familiarisation) trips. The event was announced by Minister Kandula Durgesh.
- Relevance — GS-1 (culture, tourism geography).
5. Crafts & Exports — Narsapuram Crochet Lace Crosses ₹150 Crore
A GI-tagged handmade craft's post-Covid revival
- What — Exports of Narsapuram Crochet Lace — a handmade lace craft of the West Godavari and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema districts — crossed ₹150 crore in the current financial year, marking a strong post-Covid revival.
- History — The craft dates to 1844 (the colonial period) and survived the Indian Famine of 1899 and the Great Depression of 1929. Nearly 15,000 artisans work in it, about 60% of them women.
- Recognition — It received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in March 2025 and is recognised under One District One Product (ODOP).
- Markets & support — Export destinations include the UK, US, France and the Middle East. It is supported by the International Lace Trade Centre (ILTC), Narsapuram and the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) — a statutory body under the Ministry of Textiles. Relevance: GS-1 (traditional crafts, GI-tagged products).