Chennai OMR IT Corridor From Anna Salai: A Practical Guide

What is the OMR IT corridor?

OMR stands for Old Mahabalipuram Road, now officially Rajiv Gandhi Salai and often called the IT Expressway. Wikipedia describes it as a 43.7 km state highway from Madhya Kailash Junction to Mahabalipuram on the East Coast Road, maintained by the Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation. Technology parks line the route, including TIDEL Park and the 2,000-acre SIPCOT Cyber City in Siruseri.

TIDEL Park, opened in 2000 in Taramani, has about 1.28 million sq ft of built-up area, per Wikipedia, and was among the first large IT parks in South Asia. If you have a meeting or a project site on OMR, you are going to the heart of Chennai's software industry.

The road has been used for IT and ITES work since the late 1990s and is lined with campuses, service roads and restaurants, so you may find your meeting is in a gated complex with a security check at the entrance.

Can you reach OMR by metro?

Not directly from Thousand Lights. The Blue Line runs from Wimco Nagar Depot to the airport, and the Green Line from Central to St Thomas Mount, and neither follows OMR. Wikipedia says that Phase 2 includes more than 118 km of lines under construction, but opening dates are provisional, so do not plan around them without checking the official site.

The suburban MRTS, which Wikipedia says passes along OMR, has stations such as Taramani and Thiruvanmiyur, and runs from Chennai Beach to St Thomas Mount. The full route takes more than 65 minutes, according to Wikipedia. It is a cheap option, but not the fastest for a meeting.

If you are comparing options for a team, ask each person where their meetings are before booking a hotel. A single central base is easier to manage than several scattered ones.

How do you travel there from the Anna Salai side?

For most business visitors, a pre-booked cab is the simplest option. The route usually runs south along Anna Salai or other main roads towards Madhya Kailash and then onto OMR. Traffic near Madhya Kailash and on the stretch towards Sholinganallur can be heavy at peak hours.

Exact travel times from Thousand Lights West to specific OMR campuses are not given here, since they vary greatly by hour and destination. Check a live map for your date and time, and add a generous buffer, especially for morning and evening trips. Wikipedia also lists five toll plazas on the road, so ask your cab provider whether tolls are included.

Should you stay near OMR or in the centre?

If you are in Chennai for several days and have meetings across the city, a central base near Anna Salai gives more flexibility. If all your meetings are on OMR, staying closer to the corridor may save commute time, though central Chennai has better access to the airport, the railway stations, the consulates and the hospitals.

Hotel Royal Luxe is in Thousand Lights West, 3 to 10 minutes from Thousand Lights Metro and a direct Blue Line ride from the airport. For a mixed trip, with a day on OMR and others in Teynampet or Nungambakkam, a central base keeps the other days easy.

If you are travelling to OMR early in the morning for a flight or a day of meetings, plan the metro to Guindy or Alandur as part of the route, then finish by cab. Check which station is closer to your final destination.

Checking in at 1 PM and out at 11 AM also fits a trip where meetings start early on OMR, since you can pack the night before and leave without waiting for the desk.

How should you plan the day?

Travel against the main flow where possible. Morning traffic is typically heaviest into the corridor, and evening traffic is heavy coming back. If you can, schedule meetings for mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and avoid the 6 PM to 8 PM return. Carry a charger, water and any documents you need, since there is little to do while waiting in a cab.

Tell your cab driver the exact building and gate before you set out. Large IT campuses have several gates, and a wrong one can add 15 minutes.

Always keep the contact of your host on your phone, in case the guard at the gate asks for a call.

What does a stay cost?

Queen and Twin rooms are Rs 1,800 for one guest and Rs 2,000 for two. The Deluxe Room with Kitchen is Rs 2,500, and suits a project posting of a week or more. Rates are per room per night; please reconfirm the current rate and taxes at booking. Free Wi-Fi, air conditioning and 24-hour reception help when you get back after a long commute. Call or WhatsApp +91 72001 09033 or +91 72001 09077 with your dates and number of guests.