Reliance to build India?s first Multi-Modal Park near Chennai

29 May 2024 CW Team

India's first Multimodal Logistics Park at Mappedu near Chennai, conceptualised 12 years ago, is set to take centre stage as Reliance Industries initiates construction in June, as reported by several sources. In 2022, the bid for the Rs 14.24 billion project on 184.27 acre of land in Tiruvallur district was won by the company, surpassing the Adani Group.

The project aims to enable efficient, cost-effective, and value-added logistics services, including cargo aggregation and disaggregation, distribution, intermodal transfer, sorting, packing, and repacking. However, it faced setbacks initially due to the lack of interest from the private sector concerning connectivity issues.

In 2022, Reliance was awarded the contract by the Centre, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone on May 26, 2022. Nevertheless, various issues, such as road access to local villages, caused delays in commencing construction. They mentioned that all these issues have now been resolved, and construction is scheduled to commence in June.

In October 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed among the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, National Highways Logistics Management Limited, and the Chennai Port Trust.

The park is situated 52 km from the Chennai Port, 80 km from Ennore Port, and 87 km from Kattupalli Port. It is poised to become a pivotal hub for logistics in the southern region, expected to handle approximately 7.17 million tonnes (mt) of cargo over a span of 45 years.

As per a pre-feasibility report, the project will also serve as secondary market clusters in Ranipet, Ambur, Tirupur, and Bengaluru, which host industries like leather, heavy machinery parts, automobiles, cement, sugar, and chemicals.

Additionally, the project is strategically located near automobile and electronics manufacturing clusters on the Sriperumbudur-Oragadam industrial belt and in proximity to the Chennai Peripheral Ring Road.

Building Material

03 Dec 2025

Cement Makers Positive on H2 Demand Outlook

The leading cement producers have posted high single-digit volume growth and better sales realisation in the July–September quarter, setting a positive tone for the second half of FY26. Companies are upbeat on demand prospects, supported by a strong housing sector and continued government spending on major infrastructure projects. UltraTech, Ambuja Cement, Shree Cement, Dalmia Bharat and Nuvoco Vistas recorded revenue growth of up to 18 per cent in the September quarter. The rise was driven by firm realisations, softer input costs and an increased share of premium products. With coal price..

Odisha Targets Role as MSME Hub for Eastern India

Odisha has set its sights on becoming the MSME gateway of eastern India, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said at the Odisha Industrial Conclave 2025, organised by Laghu Udyog Bharati (LUB). Calling the state a land of possibilities, he noted that Odisha has emerged as a leading destination for micro, small and medium enterprises.He said that reforms such as the Go-Swift single-window system now allow project approvals within a day. Odisha has also invested 6.1 per cent of its GDP in infrastructure development, which is expected to further accelerate industrial and MSME growth.Majhi emphasise..

Coal Ministry Eases Process for Exploration and GR Approvals

The Ministry of Coal has introduced a simplified approval mechanism for exploration programmes and Geological Reports (GRs) for coal and lignite blocks. The reform aims to accelerate exploration activity, reduce procedural delays and strengthen India’s preparedness for rising energy demand.Under the revised process, reports prepared by Notified Accredited Prospecting Agencies (APAs) and peer-reviewed by another accredited agency no longer require approval from the committee set up in January 2022. This marks a major shift towards faster, more transparent and technology-driven exploration.By ..