The new airport planned at Parandur, 60 km west of Chennai, will have a cargo village that will take care of the demands of the trade. It will also have direct connectivity to the upcoming multimodal logistics park at Mappedu, said Sandeep Nanduri, Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).

The airport coming up in Hosur will have a similar facility to meet the demands of industries like manufacturing, electric vehicles, and semiconductors. “We will ensure that the cargo requirement is taken care of in both airports,” he said at SEAIRO Conference on Logistics: Gateway to Growth, themed ‘Connecting Markets, Collaborative Strategies for Elevating Logistics to Global Standards’ organised by CII on Thursday.

The strength and success of the State depends on how strong the logistics infrastructure is, he said.

An investment of ₹20,000 crore is being planned to develop the greenfield airport at Parandur, which would annually handle 10 crore people; it will have two runways, terminal buildings, taxiways, an apron, and a cargo terminal.

Chennai airport handles around 2.2 crore people annually. After the ongoing modernisation work, it can handle 3.5 crore people a year for the next seven years.

The State government also plans to build a greenfield international airport in the industrial town of Hosur, bordering Bengaluru, on nearly 2,000 acres. It will have the capacity to annually handle around 3 crore passengers.

High speed rail corridor

TIDCO has also undertaken a study for developing a high speed rail corridor and also a high speed freight corridor in the State. In association with the Railways, the study is already commissioned. The report is submitted.

“We are evaluating which routes we have to take up to develop the corridor. This study has covered various routes like Madurai-Thoothukudi; Chenna-Hosur and Coimbatore-Thoothukudi,” he said.

“We are also piloting implementation of tracking and tracing infrastructure to streamline cargo movement in the State,” he added.

Chennai Port Authority Chairman Sunil Paliwal said collaboration has been at the heart of infrastructure projects whether it is RFID implementation at the Chennai Port or ongoing construction of new warehouses and paved yards to optimise efficiency.

The Northern Port Access Road and Elevated Corridor projects exemplify how joint efforts between various agencies can improve infrastructure, he said.

“As we forge ahead with these initiatives, we remain committed to the holistic development of our ports, ensuring that we not only reduce logistics costs but also contribute positively to the environment. These efforts will set benchmarks for sustainable logistics practices in the region,” he emphasised.

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