The City
Chennai and the OMR corridor
Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and one of India's principal metropolitan centres, with an economy built on information technology and IT-enabled services, automotive manufacturing, healthcare, education and port-linked trade. Its residential geography has widened considerably over the past two decades, with growth moving south and west from the traditional core.
Old Mahabalipuram Road — OMR, also referred to as the IT Expressway — is the clearest example of that shift. The corridor runs south from Madhya Kailash towards Siruseri and Kelambakkam, and carries a dense concentration of technology campuses, business parks and SEZ developments. SIPCOT / Siruseri IT Park, the TCS Siruseri campus, ETA Technopark and Pacifica Tech Park all sit within this belt.
That employment base is what drives residential demand along OMR. Housing here ranges from compact apartments to larger premium developments, and the corridor's residential stock has grown alongside its office stock rather than ahead of it. Localities such as Sholinganallur, Navalur, Egattur, Siruseri and Kelambakkam have each developed their own social infrastructure as a result.
Education and healthcare along the corridor are well represented, with engineering colleges, universities and multi-speciality hospitals located within the OMR catchment. Organised retail, multiplexes and hospitality have followed, and the East Coast Road running parallel to the east adds recreational and coastal access.
On connectivity, the proposed Chennai Metro Phase 2 Madhavaram–SIPCOT corridor is planned to serve this stretch. It is a proposal and is not in operation. Buyers evaluating the corridor should base their decision on the road connectivity and infrastructure that exists today.