Andhra Pradesh has laid the foundation stone for the Global Horticulture Hub worth ₹1 lakh crore at Madanapalle of Annamayya district on 2 October 2026. The project named Rayalaseema Rising is going to turn the drought-prone area of Rayalaseema into a global hub for the production, processing, and export of fruits and vegetables. It is going to involve three phases of development in 10 districts by developing 201 clusters in 303 mandals and 5,869 villages.
What Is the Global Horticulture Hub?
Global Horticulture Hub is an integrated horticulture development project to develop a full agricultural value chain in Rayalaseema. Cultivation and irrigation, rural connectivity, post-harvest facilities, food processing, marketing, and export all have been integrated within the project.
It is going to involve the project between August 2026 to July 2029 in three phases. Andhra Pradesh government has made a budget provision of ₹40,352 crore for the project whereas ₹60,000 crore is likely to be mobilized through private sector participation.
Ten Districts Covered under the Project
The Global Horticulture Hub project will cover 10 districts and nearby regions of Andhra Pradesh,
- Anantapur
- Annamayya
- Chittoor
- Kurnool
- Nandyal
- Sri Sathya Sai
- Tirupati
- Kadapa
- Prakasam
- Markapuram
Development strategy will have 201 clusters that will be distributed in 303 mandals and 5,869 villages. It aims to have integrated production and processing networks and not look at each farm or village separately.
Investment and Expansion of Horticulture
The investment in the project is around ₹1 lakh crore. Out of this ₹40,352 crore will be the government investment while the private investment would be approximately ₹60,000 crore.
Expansion of horticulture cultivation area will take place in another 6 lakh hectares taking the total area to 14.41 lakh hectares from the current 8.41 lakh hectares.
Horticulture Potential of Rayalaseema
The Rayalaseema region is drought prone southern district of Andhra Pradesh state. The aim of horticulture strategy is to utilize diversification of crops, water management, technology and infrastructural improvements in agriculture sector.
The program would be implemented in crops like mango, banana, tomato and pomegranate, along with development of infrastructure in post-harvest, processing and exports. The overall aim would be to establish the region as one of the important centers for production and exports of horticulture products.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has stated that the holistic plan is likely to help around 9.6 lakh farmers.
Indian School of Agriculture at Madanapalle
In addition to the Global Horticulture Hub, the Indian School of Agriculture (ISA) was also founded in Madanapalle.
This school will be facilitated by the Reliance Industries and is aimed at providing technological solutions through scientific farming and training of farmers and scientists. This was announced by Anant Ambani, Reliance Industries Executive Director, in the laying of the foundation stone ceremony that took place on 2 October 2026.
The Indian School of Agriculture aims at serving the farmers with technological solutions that include scientific and technology-based agriculture. The Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasized this during the event.
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