Chennai is nicknamed the "Detroit of Asia" [1] due to the presence of major automobile manufacturing units and allied industries around the city.
A number of big motor companies, including BMW, Royal Enfield, Hyundai, Renault-Nissan, Citroen, Caparo Group, Komatsu, Caterpillar, Ashok Leyland, and TVS, have presence along the 60 km Automotive Corridor. Oragadam is regarded as the epicenter of this corridor, which contains the National Automobile Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRIP). This corridor is served by three major ports, Chennai Port, Kattupalli Shipyard and Kamarajar Port.
The 4-wheeler vehicles in Chennai is the base of 30% of India's automobile industry [2] and 35% of its automobile component industry. [3] [4] Besides the commercial industry, the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) has been established in Avadi to produce military related vehicles. Avadi also has the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), with an engine-testing facility.
Company | Location | Capacity | Products |
---|---|---|---|
Ashok Leyland | Chennai port [5] | Buses, haulage vehicles, special application vehicles, diesel engines | |
BMW | Mahindra World City, New Chennai [6] | BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 series, BMW X1, BMW X3, Mini Cooper | |
Caterpillar | Thiruvallur | Off Highway Trucks, HEX, Back-Hoe Loader, Skid Steer Loader | |
Daimler | Oragadam [7] | 36,000 | BharatBenz trucks and buses |
Ford | Maraimalai Nagar [8] | 200,000 [9] | |
Mahindra & Mahindra | Mahindra World City | Research and development for automotive and farm sector [10] | |
Force Motors | Mahindra World City | Engines for BMW [11] | |
Hindustan Motors | Tiruvallur | Trekker (discontinued), Landmaster (discontinued), Contessa (discontinued), Ambassador (discontinued) | |
Hyundai | Irungattukottai [12] | 600,000 [13] [14] | Aura, Elantra, G rand i10 Nios, i20, Verna, Exter, Venue, Creta, Alcazar, Tucson, Creta Electric, Ioniq 5 |
Integral Coach Factory (ICF) | Perambur | Railway coaches | |
Mitsubishi | Tiruvallur | 12,000 [15] | |
Stellantis | Chennai One SEZ, OMR | Research & Development, Programs & Projects, Global Purchasing Hub, Supply Chain, Process & Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, KD Excellence Center & Product [16] | |
Citroën India | Tiruvallur | C5 Aircross, C3, ë-C3, Aircross, Basalt | |
Renault Nissan Automotive India | Oragadam | 200,000 | Kwid, Triber, Kiger, Magnite |
Royal Enfield | Tiruvottiyur | 1,200,000 [17] | Classic, Bullet, Hunter 350, Scram 440, Goan Classic 350, Meteor, Super Meteor 650, Himalayan, Guerrilla 650, Shotgun 650, Bear 650, Interceptor 650, Continental GT 650. |
Oragadam | |||
Vallam | |||
TAFE Tractors | Sembium | Tractors | |
Valeo | Vallam | 500,000 [18] | wiper motor manufacturing facility |
Yamaha | Vallam Vadakkal | 450,000 [19] | Bikes |
CNH Industrial (India) Pvt. Ltd - (New Holland Tractors) | Porur | 450,000[ citation needed ] | Tractors |
Company | Plant Locations |
---|---|
Yokohama | Gangaikondan |
Apollo Tyres | Oragadam |
Bridgestone | Oragadam |
CEAT | Sriperumbudur |
JK Tyres | Sriperumbudur |
Michelin | Thervoy Kandigai |
MRF | Arakkonam, Tiruvottiyur |
The following auto component companies have their manufacturing plants in and around Chennai:
The Automotive Corridor, also known as Detroit of Asia, is a 60 km long corridor in Chennai, India. This corridor alone accounts for 33% of commercial vehicles, 21% of all passenger cars, and 35% of auto components which are produced in the country. The corridor stretches from Gummidipoondi, 50 km north of Chennai to Maraimalai Nagar 35 km south of Chennai and passes through Tiruvallur, Sriperumbudur and Oragadam. It is estimated that a part of this corridor from Tiruvallur to Maraimalai Nagar alone, by 2012, would produce around 1.25 million cars, 35,000 commercial vehicles and other automotives per year. [23] [ failed verification ]
Major tyre manufacturing companies alone have committed investments around $4 billion in Tamil Nadu of which 90% has been invested in the Automotive Corridor. A number of tyre manufacturing companies have set up factories in this corridor and are as follows.
Company | Plant Locations | Investments (crores of INR) |
---|---|---|
Alliance Tire Company | Gangaikondan | |
Apollo Tyres | Oragadam | 2600 [24] [ failed verification ] |
Bridgestone | Thervoy Kandigai | |
CEAT | Sriperumbudur | |
Dunlop | Ambattur | |
JK Tyres | Sriperumbudur | 1600 [25] [ failed verification ] |
Michelin | Thervoy Kandigai | 11000 (4000 in Phase I till 2016) |
MRF | Arakkonam, Tiruvottiyur (2 plants) | 1400 |