GT Bharathi has secured a licence from the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) to develop a World Trade Center (WTC) business in Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, marking the developer’s entry into the global WTC network and setting the foundation for a large mixed-use development in the region. 
The proposed WTC will form the centrepiece of an integrated, IT-centric township spread across approximately 150 acres. GT Bharathi has estimated the overall development value at around INR 7,000 crore, with the project planned to be developed in phases over roughly a decade. 
The development is planned as a live-work-learn destination, combining commercial and retail spaces with IT infrastructure, data centres, residential and luxury residential communities, educational institutions and hospitality facilities. The company expects the completed development to generate more than one lakh jobs, potentially making it a significant employment and economic activity centre for Chengalpattu. 
The WTCA licence places GT Bharathi within a global network of more than 300 WTC businesses and organisations spread across nearly 100 countries and territories. The WTC network provides member businesses with access to international trade services, business exchanges and opportunities for greater global connectivity. 
For Chengalpattu, the proposed development is intended to strengthen the district’s position within Tamil Nadu’s expanding commercial and technology corridor. The project is being planned around the region’s connectivity to the IT corridor and industrial clusters, with the developer seeking to create an integrated destination rather than a standalone office development. 
GT Bharathi is currently working towards consolidating land required for the proposed township. The company is in discussions with landowners holding parcels of suitable scale along the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) corridor from Thiruporur onwards and along the East Coast Road (ECR) within Chengalpattu district. This means that land consolidation and site finalisation remain important steps before the wider development can progress. 
The proposed commercial component is expected to be anchored by the WTC business park. By bringing office, retail, residential, hospitality and institutional uses within a common masterplan, GT Bharathi intends to create an ecosystem where businesses and residents can operate within the same broader development. 
Data centres are also included in the proposed development mix, reflecting the growing importance of digital infrastructure within large-scale commercial and technology-led developments. The inclusion of educational and hospitality facilities is expected to support the wider workforce and resident population as the township develops. 
The project’s employment potential could also have implications for the surrounding real estate market. A development of this scale could create demand for housing, retail, hospitality and supporting services in nearby areas as businesses establish operations and employment increases. 
The proposed township is also expected to connect regional enterprises with the broader WTCA network. GT Bharathi has indicated that WTC Chengalpattu will collaborate with WTC members in the region, including WTC Chennai, to facilitate international trade and business connections. 
For GT Bharathi, the licence represents a move into a globally recognised commercial development format while expanding its project pipeline beyond conventional residential and plotted developments. For Chengalpattu, the proposed investment could add a large-scale commercial and employment node to an already expanding growth corridor. 
However, the INR 7,000-crore development remains at an early stage, with land consolidation, masterplanning and requisite approvals still to progress. The company has indicated that the development will be phased over approximately ten years, making execution and land aggregation critical to the project's eventual scale. 
If implemented as planned, the WTC-led township could add a significant new commercial, residential and institutional destination to Chengalpattu, while strengthening the district’s links with Tamil Nadu’s wider IT, industrial and international business ecosystem. 
Sources: PTI