Ambattur

Ambattur is an industrial Cente and township which is 16 km. to the west of Chennai city and situated in the Chennai - Avadi Trunk Road. It has railway station, bearing the same name on the Chennai - Arakkonam broadgauge line. Frequent bus service, both town and mofussil, help the people in transportation.

This ancient village, being very near to Chennai city with rail and road facilities is in an advantageous location. This is the biggest small scale industrial estate not only in Tiruvallur district but in the whole of South Asia. It is spread over an area of 1221 acres of land with 1370 industries functioning there. Though an attempt to start an industrial estate was made in year 1961, it had its functioning commissioned in the year 1964, by the Government of Tamil Nadu. Several factors such as suitability of the soil communication facilities, availability of raw materials and a large volume of ground water suitable for industrial and domestic purposes, etc., were responsible for seeking this place for the setting up of this industrial Estate, an extent of 1000 acres adjoining the estate was acquired by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board for housing purposes. For more details such as the activities and achievements of - Industrial estate, please refer to the chapter on Industries.

There are two temples here, one of Sri Vinnaraya Perumal and another for Lord Siva. The latter is very old and dilapidated. Temples for Lord Muruga and for the local deity Kannatamman can be seen here. The Mounaswami Matam, which has a temple for Sri Bhuvaneswari Amman inside, attracts a large number of the devotees of Mounaswami.

Once a major panchayat, Ambathur was made a township in the 1960's. It has now attained the status of selection grade Municipality. Sri Ramasamy Mudaliar's High School, two panchayat union elementary schools, one girls high school, A.M.M. Charities hospital, veterinary hospital, veterinary dispensary, a Madhar Sangam, a maternity centre, a carpentry union, a police station, etc., are located here. Consequent on the developments of industries, several housing colonies have sprung up. Around the industrial estate, several industrial units have grown up, to swell the number of industries here. The T.I. Cycles of India Limited are running a factory manufacturing bicycles. The factory produces about 13,00,000 bicycles every year. The capital investment of the company is Rs.16 crores. The Dunlop Rubber Company has established a factory for the production of motor and giant tyres, cycle tyres, retreading compounds, etc.