Back Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kerala, Tamil Nadu today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra on February 27 and 28.

On the first day of his tour, the Prime Minister will visit the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and address a public rally. In the second half of the day, Prime Minister Modi will participate in an event titled ‘Creating the Future – Digital Mobility for Automotive MSME Entrepreneurs’ in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Here is what the first day of PM Modi’s tour looks like:

Space projects at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Kerala
At 10:45 am, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

The PM will inaugurate three important space infrastructure projects at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, including the PSLV Integration Facility (PIF) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. This will help in boosting the frequency of PSLV launches from 6 to 15 per year.

The new ‘Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and stage Test facility’ to be inaugurated at ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri will increase the payload capability of the present launch vehicles, according to details shared by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a press release.

The ‘Trisonic Wind Tunnel’ at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram, which will also be inaugurated, will serve future technology development needs. “These three projects providing world-class technical facilities for the space sector have been developed at a cumulative cost of about ₹1,800 crore,” the statement said.

Review Gaganyaan Mission
Prime Minister Modi will also review the progress of India’s first human space flight program Gaganyaan Mission, and bestow ‘astronaut wings’ to the astronaut-designates during the visit.

Later in the day, PM Modi will also address a public meeting in the city. “Kerala is tired of UDF and LDF, and the people of this great state are all set to support the BJP in a big way,” PM Modi wrote ahead of his visit.

Rally in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu
The primary focus of PM Modi’s two-day visit will be Tamil Nadu. PM Modi will reach the Indian Air Force base repair station at Sulur in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, from Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala at around 2:05 pm.

PM Modi is also scheduled to preside over the conclusion of the more than 100-day-long “En Mann, En Makkal (My Land, My People) Yatra”, led by state BJP Chief K Annamalai, at Palladam in Tiruppur district on February 27. He will also address a public meeting in Tiruppur.

The rally is billed as the biggest-ever show of strength by the BJP in Tamil Nadu, expecting a crowd of around 10 lakh people ahead of Lok Sabha elections. The Yatra’s objective is to cover all 234 assembly segments in Tamil Nadu to try and secure a foothold for the party in the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier launched the Yatra from Rameswaram on July 28.

“Over the last few months, it has become crystal clear that Tamil Nadu is supporting the NDA in a great way and the Lok Sabha results will also reflect that!” PM Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter) ahead of the visit.

Address MSME entrepreneurs in Madurai
At 5:15 pm, the Prime Minister will participate in the programme, ‘Creating the Future – Digital Mobility for Automotive MSME Entrepreneurs’ in Madurai. He will address thousands of MSME entrepreneurs working in the automotive sector.

PM Modi will also launch two major initiatives designed to support and uplift MSMEs in the Indian automotive industry. The initiatives include the TVS Open Mobility Platform and the TVS Mobility-CII Centre of Excellence.

These initiatives will be a step towards supporting the growth of MSMEs in the country and helping them formalise operations, integrate with global value chains and become self-reliant, said the press release.

The next day, on February 28, at around 9:45 am, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth about ₹17,300 crore at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, before flying to Maharashtra.