India’s first Multimodal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Mappedu near Chennai is set to commence construction in June, spearheaded by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), according to multiple sources. RIL won the Rs 1,424 crore project bid in 2022, surpassing Adani Group for the development of 184.27 acres in Tiruvallur district.

The MMLP aims to provide efficient, cost-effective, and value-added logistics services, including cargo aggregation, disaggregation, distribution, intermodal transfer, sorting, packing, and repacking. Initial delays were due to connectivity issues and a lukewarm response from the private sector. However, these issues have been resolved, paving the way for construction to begin.

The Centre awarded the contract to Reliance, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone on May 26, 2022. Despite challenges such as road access to local villages, the project is now ready to proceed.

In October 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, National Highways Logistics Management Limited, and Chennai Port Trust. The MMLP is strategically located 52 km from Chennai Port, 80 km from Ennore Port, and 87 km from Kattupalli Port, positioning it as a logistics hub for the southern region. It is expected to handle approximately 7.17 million tonnes of cargo over 45 years.

The pre-feasibility report highlights that the MMLP will serve secondary market clusters in Ranipet, Ambur, Tirupur, and Bengaluru, which house industries like leather, heavy machinery parts, automobiles, cement, sugar, and chemicals. Additionally, the park is near the automobile and electronics manufacturing clusters on the Sriperumbudur-Oragadam industrial belt and the Chennai Peripheral Ring Road.

The project’s success hinges on ensuring robust rail connectivity from Mappedu to the ports, a crucial factor for its operational efficiency.

 

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