GT Bharathi plans ₹7,000-crore WTC township along Chennai's OMR

GT Bharathi, a Chennai-based real estate developer, secured a licence from the World Trade Centers Association to build a World Trade Center in Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu, the company said in a release. The project is the centrepiece of a planned integrated township of about 150 acres, with a projected development value of roughly ₹7,000 crore.

The developer envisions the WTC as the anchor of an IT-centric mixed-use township that includes commercial and retail spaces, data centres, residential and luxury residential communities, educational institutions, and hospitality. At full build-out, the company expects the development to generate more than 1,00,000 jobs. The masterplan is designed to unfold in phases over roughly a decade, Managing Director Arun Bharathi Arunachalam said.

“Our vision is a self-sustaining live-work-learn destination anchored by the WTC business park,” Arunachalam said.

GT Bharathi joins an elite global network of over 300 WTC businesses across nearly 100 countries and territories. It becomes one of the major developers to carry the WTC name in South India, the release said. Chennai already has a World Trade Center developed by Bengaluru-based Brigade, making this the second in the region. The project sits along the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) corridor, one of the city's fastest-growing IT and residential belts.

Badal Saboo, business lead for India and Asia Pacific at the World Trade Centers Association, said GT Bharathi's entry strengthens the association's presence in one of India's fastest-growing trade corridors.

Land assembly is the immediate challenge. GT Bharathi is in active discussions to consolidate a parcel of the scale required. The company is looking at land along the OMR corridor from Thiruporur onwards and along the East Coast Road within Chengalpattu district. Landowners holding parcels of comparable size in those belts have been invited to explore participation. “We are yet to decide on the location,” Arunachalam told businessline.

A project of this size will test the developer's ability to aggregate contiguous land in a market where fragmented holdings are common. If successful, the township could reshape the southern Chennai periphery, drawing IT and services employment away from the central business district. Brigade's existing WTC in Chennai is on the northern side of the city; GT Bharathi's project would serve a different corridor, potentially competing for tenants and commercial interest.

The company's track record and financial capacity to execute a decade-long, ₹7,000-crore build-out will be a key factor. With no listed equity or debt financing details disclosed, the market will watch for anchor tenants or pre-construction funding commitments.