Kakinada is globally known for its sweet called kaaja. Along with these it is also known for its town planning. The Indian Standard Time (IST) passes through this city. Kakinada used to have about 12 cinema halls along a road (Cinema Road) and is known as Second Madras (because Chennai used to have many cinema halls along a road). It is also known for its scenic beach beauty.The city is a home for many Tollywood Film Celebrities namely Suryakantham, Rao Gopal Rao, Krishna Bhagawan, Goutham Raju, Sairam BS. The city was selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship, Smart Cities Mission.[6] It is one of the fastest developing cities of Andhra Pradesh.