Where to Live Near OMR IT Parks in Chennai

By the Valuepersqft advisory team · 11 Nov 2026

Mention OMR to anyone who works in Chennai’s IT sector and you will get a story about the commute. Rajiv Gandhi Salai, as the Old Mahabalipuram Road is officially called, carries a huge share of the city’s tech workforce every morning, from Taramani in the north to Siruseri and Kelambakkam in the south. Knowing where to live near the OMR IT parks starts with knowing which cluster you will drive to.

• OMR has three office clusters, and where you live should follow the one you work in.
• Sholinganallur and Navalur balance commute, schools and choice for most families.
• Density drops sharply south of Navalur, where villas and larger homes are common.
• Ask every developer about plinth level, drainage and basement flood protection.

The good news is that OMR is long enough to give you real choice. Live in the right stretch and your drive to work can be ten minutes. Live in the wrong one and it can be an hour each way. Here is how we break the corridor down when we help families buy a home in Chennai.

The three IT park clusters on OMR

Tidel Park and the Perungudi end

Tidel Park at Taramani started Chennai’s IT story and is still a big employer, with a string of campuses running south through Perungudi and Thoraipakkam. This end is closest to the city, to the airport via the Pallavaram radial road, and to established neighbourhoods like Velachery and Adyar.

Sholinganallur: Chennai One and ELCOT SEZ

The middle of OMR is the busiest. Chennai One IT SEZ and the ELCOT SEZ at Sholinganallur sit close to the junction where OMR meets the road to ECR and the Medavakkam side. Several large company campuses are here, which is why Sholinganallur has grown into a self-contained neighbourhood with schools, hospitals and malls of its own.

SIPCOT IT Park, Siruseri

Further south, SIPCOT IT Park at Siruseri hosts some of the largest IT campuses in the state. Homes around Navalur, Padur, Kelambakkam and Siruseri itself are often larger for the same budget, with more gated communities and villa projects than you will find closer to the city.

Where to live for each cluster

Homes we track along OMR

A few of the communities our Chennai team gets asked about most. Sizes are as published by the developers; please check the latest details with us.

Also worth a look: Provident Bayscape in Kelambakkam on 18.5 acres, Casagrand Luxeria villas in Navalur, and if you would rather build your own home, DLF Parc Estate plots near Siruseri. For the full list, see our homes on OMR, villas in Chennai and plots in Chennai.

OMR communities compared on the numbers

Here are the communities above, plus a few more, side by side. “Homes per acre” is the number of homes divided by the land area: a simple way to see how open or crowded a community will feel.

The pattern is clear. The closer you get to Sholinganallur, the more homes share each acre, because land there is expensive and well connected. Head south towards Navalur, Siruseri and Kelambakkam and density drops sharply, with villas and very spacious layouts becoming common. Choosing where to live on OMR is really choosing where you sit on that trade-off between commute and space.

Figures are as published by the developers and may change between phases.

Apartment, floor villa or villa?

OMR offers three distinct formats, and it helps to know which one you are after before visits start.

• High-rise apartments dominate the Sholinganallur and Thoraipakkam stretch. You get a short commute, lifts, security and a busy clubhouse.
• Floor villas, offered in projects like Casagrand Cloud9, give you an entire floor or a very large apartment with villa-like space, usually with fewer homes per lift.
• Gated villas are mostly found from Navalur southwards. You get your own terrace and a little garden, and more upkeep.

Daily life along OMR

The corridor has filled in a great deal over the last decade. Schools are plentiful, from CBSE schools around Sholinganallur and Navalur to international schools around Padur and Kelambakkam. For healthcare, large hospitals such as Gleneagles Global Health City at Perumbakkam and Chettinad Health City near Kelambakkam serve the southern stretch, while the Perungudi end has quick access to the hospitals of Velachery and Adyar. Shopping ranges from neighbourhood supermarkets to malls such as Marina Mall at Egattur and Vivira Mall at Navalur.

One thing many families love about OMR is the beach. East Coast Road and its quieter beaches are only a short drive across from most OMR neighbourhoods, which makes weekends here very different from the inland suburbs of other cities.

What Chennai buyers should check that others may not

• Flooding history. Parts of OMR sit close to the Pallikaranai marshland and old water bodies. Ask neighbours how the street fared in the heavy rains of recent years, check the site’s ground level against the road, and look at where the stormwater drains lead. This single check matters more in Chennai than in any other city we cover.
• Groundwater and supply. Many OMR communities rely on a mix of borewells, tankers and treated water. Ask what the project has planned and how much storage each home gets.
• TNRERA and approvals. Search the project on the Tamil Nadu RERA website, and for plotted layouts confirm whether the layout is DTCP or CMDA approved.
• Distance to OMR itself. Some projects marketed as “on OMR” are two or three kilometres inside, along narrow village roads. Drive it during school hours.
• Sea breeze, salt air and maintenance. Closer to the coast, ask about the paint and fittings used. They age faster in salty air.

What is changing on OMR

Chennai Metro’s Phase 2 includes a corridor running along OMR towards SIPCOT, with work under way and services expected to open in stages over the coming years. Once it opens, the Sholinganallur and Navalur stretch should benefit the most. As always, buy for the commute you have today and treat the metro as a bonus.

Which stretch suits which buyer

After many site visits with Chennai families, a few patterns repeat themselves.

• Young couples working at Tidel Park or Perungudi usually prefer Thoraipakkam, Perungudi or Pallikaranai, where they can stay close to the city and its restaurants while keeping the drive short.
• Families with school-age children working in the middle of OMR tend to settle in Sholinganallur or Navalur, where schools, hospitals and a large choice of gated communities are all close together.
• Families who want a villa, or senior professionals working at SIPCOT, look south to Padur, Siruseri and Kelambakkam for the space and the calmer streets.
• NRIs buying for parents in Chennai often choose ready homes near good hospitals, which points to Perumbakkam, Sholinganallur or Kelambakkam. Our NRI services team can manage visits and paperwork remotely.

Questions to ask the developer about rain and drainage

Because flooding is the concern we hear most from Chennai buyers, we suggest putting these questions to the developer in writing:

1. What is the plinth level of the buildings compared with the main road outside?
2. Where does the site’s stormwater go, and is it connected to a public drain?
3. Are the basement car parks protected by ramps, pumps and backup power?
4. Did the site or the approach road see waterlogging in recent monsoons?
5. How much rainwater harvesting and on-site storage is planned?

A good developer will have clear answers. If the answers are vague, take that as a signal to look harder at the site.

What we tell our clients

For most families working on OMR, Sholinganallur and Navalur are where commute, schools and choice line up most often. If you want more space, the Padur and Kelambakkam end gives you villas and larger homes for the same money, at the cost of a longer drive to the north end of OMR. Share your office location with our Chennai team and we will come back with three or four homes that fit.

Speak to a Chennai advisor →

Frequently asked questions

Which is the biggest IT park on OMR?

SIPCOT IT Park at Siruseri is one of the largest by area, while Chennai One and ELCOT SEZ at Sholinganallur hold some of the biggest employers in the middle of the corridor.

Is Sholinganallur a good place to buy a flat?

Yes, for anyone working in the middle of OMR. It has mature schools, hospitals and shopping, and a wide range of gated communities.

Are there villas on OMR?

Yes. Navalur, Padur and Kelambakkam have several gated villa communities. Closer to the city, villas are rare and most homes are apartments.

Does OMR flood?

Some low-lying pockets near water bodies have seen waterlogging in very heavy rain, while other parts stay dry. It varies street by street, so check each site individually.

What is a floor villa?

A floor villa is a very large apartment that takes up most or all of a floor, often with its own lift lobby and big decks. It offers villa-like space without the upkeep of a standalone house.

Is Navalur good for families?

Yes. Navalur has schools, hospitals and shopping within easy reach, sits between Sholinganallur and SIPCOT, and has both apartments and gated villas.

How far is OMR from Chennai airport?

The Perungudi and Thoraipakkam end is usually 30 to 45 minutes from the airport via the Pallavaram–Thoraipakkam radial road. From Siruseri or Kelambakkam, allow more time.

Are plots a good option on OMR?

Plotted layouts near Siruseri and Kelambakkam suit buyers who want to build their own home. Confirm DTCP or CMDA approval and the land title before paying any advance.

• Where to Live Near Tech Parks in Bangalore
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• DTCP vs CMDA Approval: How to Check a Chennai Plot

By the Valuepersqft advisory team Property advisors across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Mumbai for 8+ years, working with 40+ developers and 500+ projects.

Details are taken from public sources and developer information and may change. Please confirm current availability, prices and approvals with our team before making a decision.