OMR’s real estate evolution: From IT hub to affordable luxury villa destination – The Times of India

From tech parks to luxury living, Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) is redefining Chennai’s real estate landscape. Once known for its glass-and-steel IT offices, the corridor is now witnessing a surge in villa communities, offering the ECR lifestyle at more affordable prices and drawing homebuyers away from the city’s traditional coastal luxury belt. However, both prime stretches face infrastructure challenges.
Chennai’s housing demand is distributed as follows: South Chennai – 60%, West Chennai – 30%, and the Central Business District & North Chennai – 10%. Plotted developments and villas hold a 30% market share of the city’s residential segment, explained Sanjay Chugh, Director, Anarock.
At the recent Credai Chennai Fairpro real estate expo, this year the enquiries were more for plots and villas. “This year we recorded 385 bookings in just three days. Last year it was 302. We are seeing a lot of villas and plotted development on ECR, and on OMR there is demand till Tiruporur and beyond,” said P Kruthivas, convenor, Fairpro.
While ECR remains the preferred villa destination for NRIs and HNIs, OMR is rapidly catching up. “Many projects are coming up beyond Sholinganallur, a few kilometres from the main road. The favourite micro-markets include Navalur, Padur, and Karani,” said Ranjeet Rathod of DRA Homes.
A key attraction for buyers is the relatively lower cost of villas along OMR. While ECR villa prices start at 4 crore, OMR villas begin at 1.5 crore, making them an appealing option for those seeking luxury living at a lower investment. “On OMR, 60% of demand comes from senior IT professionals, while 20% is from NRIs and HNIs,” he added.
The proximity to major IT parks and tech hubs is a significant advantage, ensuring a seamless work-life balance. Two types of villa communities are emerging in OMR: row houses based on UDS and individual villas that offer subdivided plot ownership. “Villa developments ease infrastructure pressure as they are set in green spaces, away from the main road’s hustle. Villas are an aspirational product, offering apartment-style amenities with greater privacy,” said Manoj Vasudevan, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, DRA Homes.
Nikhil Indrasenan, Proprietor – Bloomfield, noted that most entrepreneurs and HNIs prefer buying plots on ECR and constructing their own villas, valuing the sense of ownership. Others opt for ready-to-move-in villas, while senior corporate executives often rent these premium spaces.
Despite the growing popularity of villa communities, infrastructure challenges persist. Inadequate roads, limited public transport, and evolving healthcare facilities remain concerns, highlighting the need for further development to support the rapid expansion of these residential hubs.
“All villas on OMR are coming up in the interior roads and most of the buyers are software engineers who purchase them due to affordability. But they lack amenities like road infrastructure, policing, and street lights,” said S Swaminathan, a representative of the Confederation of Sholinganallur constituency residents welfare association.