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 motor companies, includingBMW,Royal Enfield,Hyundai,Renault-Nissan,Citroen, Caparo Group, Komatsu, Caterpillar,Ashok Leyland, andTVS, have facilities 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). The corridor is served by three major ports,Chennai Port,Kattupalli Shipyard andKamarajar Port.
The 4-wheeler vehicles in Chennai is the base of 30% ofIndia'sautomobile industry[2] and 35% of its automobile component industry.[3][4] Besides the commercial industry, theHeavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) has been established inAvadi to produce military related vehicles.Avadi also has theCombat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), with anengine-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 forBMW[11] | |
| Hindustan Motors | Tiruvallur | Trekker(discontinued), Landmaster(discontinued), Contessa(discontinued),Ambassador(discontinued) | |
| Hyundai | Irungattukottai[12] | 600,000[13][14] | Aura,Elantra,Grand i10 Nios,i20,Verna,Exter,Venue,Creta,Alcazar,Tucson,Creta Electric,Ioniq 5 |
| Mitsubishi | Tiruvallur | 12,000[15] | |
| Stellantis | Chennai OneSEZ,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:
TheAutomotive Corridor, is a 60 km long corridor inChennai,India. This corridor alone accounts for 33% of commercial vehicles, 21% of all passenger cars, and 35% of auto components produced in the country. The corridor stretches fromGummidipoondi, 50 km north of Chennai toMaraimalai Nagar 35 km south of Chennai and passes throughTiruvallur,Sriperumbudur andOragadam. 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 |
