Andhra Pradesh, Moscow Government Join Hands to Modernise Urban Mobility in Visakhapatnam

AMARAVATI:
In a significant step towards developing a modern, efficient and technology-driven urban transportation system in Visakhapatnam, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has entered into a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Government of Moscow, Russian Federation.

The agreement was signed by GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg, and Maksim Liksutov, Deputy Mayor of Moscow and Head of the Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development, during the 5th International Transport Summit in Moscow. Visakhapatnam Member of Parliament M. Sribharat was present at the signing ceremony.

The cooperation is a direct outcome of the recent official visit of Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, Information Technology and Electronics Nara Lokesh to Russia in June 2026. During the visit, Minister Lokesh held discussions with the leadership of Moscow’s transport establishment on strengthening cooperation in urban mobility, connectivity, transport infrastructure and technology.

Recognising the rapid growth of Visakhapatnam and its emergence as a major economic, industrial and technology hub, the two sides agreed to collaborate on developing advanced transportation solutions for the city. The present Memorandum of Cooperation formalises those discussions and creates an institutional framework for continued technical engagement, knowledge exchange and project-level cooperation.

Learning from Moscow’s advanced transport ecosystem
Moscow operates one of the world’s most extensive and technologically integrated urban transport networks, bringing together the metro, buses, trams, electric buses, the Moscow Central Circle and the Moscow Central Diameters.

The city has developed an integrated fare-payment ecosystem through the Troika smart card, which can be used across multiple modes of public transport. Moscow also uses intelligent transport systems for real-time traffic monitoring, regulation of traffic flows, public transport optimisation and dissemination of traffic information.

Digital platforms, artificial intelligence, computer vision, data analytics and centralised traffic-management systems are increasingly being deployed to improve passenger convenience, road safety, operational efficiency and the reliability of public transport services.

The Andhra Pradesh Government seeks to draw upon these experiences while developing a mobility model suited to Visakhapatnam’s geography, population, economic growth and future infrastructure requirements.

Key areas of cooperation
Under the agreement, GVMC and the Government of Moscow will explore collaboration in the development of modern and sustainable urban transport systems, preparation of integrated mobility concepts and implementation of intelligent transport solutions.

The partnership will include cooperation in:
Intelligent traffic and public transport management systems;

• Integrated and digital ticketing infrastructure;
• Artificial intelligence and data-driven transport planning;
• Autonomous transportation technologies and supporting infrastructure;
• Participation in urban transport data initiatives;
• Sustainable and low-emission mobility solutions;
• Automotive and electronics manufacturing;
• Energy-storage systems;
• Vertical transportation solutions;
• Technology transfer and exchange of technical expertise; and
• Training and exchange programmes for officials, professionals and specialists.

The cooperation is expected to help Visakhapatnam introduce global best practices in multimodal transport integration, passenger information systems, traffic management, digital payments, transport-data utilisation and sustainable urban mobility.

Visakhapatnam to emerge as a model city for smart mobility
Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana said the agreement reflected the State Government’s commitment to developing Visakhapatnam as a globally competitive and future-ready city.

“Visakhapatnam is emerging as a major growth centre for Andhra Pradesh and as a hub for industry, technology, tourism and innovation. A modern and integrated transportation network will be essential to support this growth. The cooperation with Moscow will enable us to study proven international practices and adopt appropriate solutions for Visakhapatnam,” he said.

Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, S. Suresh Kumar, IAS, said the partnership would facilitate sustained knowledge exchange and provide GVMC access to advanced expertise in urban mobility and digital transformation.

Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat said the agreement had been concluded under the guidance of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and would help bring advanced technologies and global best practices from Moscow to Visakhapatnam.

The Andhra Pradesh Government will work with GVMC and the Government of Moscow to identify priority areas for implementation and develop specific projects under the cooperation framework.

The partnership underlines the State Government’s broader vision of transforming Visakhapatnam into a clean, connected, accessible and technology-enabled global city.