After a 12-year conceptual journey, India’s pioneering multimodal logistics park in Mappedu, near Chennai, is finally breaking ground. Reliance Industries is set to begin construction this June, following their victory over the Adani Group in a competitive bid for the Rs 1,424 crore project on 184.27 acre in Tiruvallur district.
This ambitious project, designed to enhance logistics efficiency and reduce costs, will offer a range of value-added services including cargo aggregation, distribution, intermodal transfers, sorting, packing, and repacking. Initially stalled by connectivity concerns and tepid private sector interest, the project is now back on track with all preliminary issues resolved.
In 2022, Reliance secured the contract, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone on May 26 of the same year. Delays ensued due to challenges like ensuring road access to nearby villages, but these have now been addressed, paving the way for the start of construction.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in October 2021 between Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, National Highways Logistics Management Ltd, and Chennai Port Trust, marking a significant step forward in the project’s journey.
Strategically located, the park is 52 km from Chennai Port, 80 km from Ennore Port, and 87 km from Kattupalli Port, positioning it as a central logistics hub for southern India. It is projected to handle approximately 7.17 million ton of cargo over the next 45 years.
According to a pre-feasibility report, the park will serve key secondary market clusters such as Ranipet, Ambur, Tirupur, and Bengaluru, supporting industries like leather, heavy machinery, automobiles, cement, sugar, and chemicals.
Additionally, its proximity to the Sriperumbudur-Oragadam industrial belt and the upcoming Chennai Peripheral Ring Road will bolster its role in the region’s logistics network. However, the project’s ultimate success hinges on establishing robust rail connectivity between Mappedu and the major ports.
With construction set to commence, this landmark project is poised to revolutionize logistics in the region, offering a new benchmark in efficiency and integration for India’s supply chain infrastructure.