Herrenknecht's ₹50Crore Bet on Chennai Tunnels

Germany-based tunnel boring machine (TBM) manufacturer Herrenknecht is expanding its Chennai operations with a new manufacturing facility on 12.4 acres of land in Kannigaiper, North Chennai, acquired for over ₹50 crore.

This expansion comes in response to rising demand for TBMs, driven by numerous tunneling projects across India, collectively valued at over ₹3 lakh crore in the coming decade. Herrenknecht, which established its first assembly unit in Chennai in 2007, has localized 70% of its production and manufactures 10–12 metro-sized TBMs annually—servicing major projects like Chennai Metro Phase I and II.

The land acquisition was exclusively advised by JLL, and the expansion is backed by an MoU signed during Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s visit to Germany. India currently imports most of its TBMs from countries such as Germany, China, and the US.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.