Chennai's Koyambedu Wholesale Complex: A sprawling market that is now in news for wrong reasons

Lorries from various places arrive at the market a little after midnight to unload vegetables and other supplies after which the wholesale market comes to life at about 4 am. (DH Photo)

Though there are only 3,200 shops, the vendors could be easily more than 6,000 as many outlets are shared by at least two people who make business separately. (DH Photo)

Over 6,000 vendors who procure vegetables, fruits, and flowers from across India and sell them. Nearly 3,200 shops. 15,000 labourers. A footfall of more than 50,000 and movement of 1,000 lorries every day.

This in nutshell is the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex built in an area of nearly 65 acres in the heart of Chennai – the unbuilt area is much larger with the entire area earmarked for the purpose spreading across 295 acres. The market comprises of 1,889 vegetable shops, 828 that sell fruits 470 flower shops.

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The market complex, huge in size with 18 entry and exit points, was inaugurated in 1996 after which all wholesale vendors shifted here from the over-crowded market in the narrow lanes of Kothavalasavadi in the city. Since then, Koyambedu is the go-to place for any vegetable wholesale vendor in Tamil Nadu.

It will not be an exaggeration to say that the market never sleeps as it is abuzz with some activity or the other round-the-clock. Koyambedu is one of the largest perishable markets in Asia, generating crores of rupees in revenue every day, with vegetables, fruits, and flowers being sold in tons.

Supplies for the wholesale market come from across Tamil Nadu, neighbouring states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Telangana and even from far-away Maharashtra and West Bengal.

Lorries from various places arrive at the market a little after midnight to unload vegetables and other supplies after which the wholesale market comes to life at about 4 am.

The supplies from here are not sent just to various parts of Tamil Nadu, but to Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, while specific items are transported to cities like Bengaluru.

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After wholesale business ends, vendors also get into retail business from 7 am as thousands of people come to the market to buy “fresh vegetables and fruits.”

Besides, people also come in good numbers to purchase vegetables for marriages, family functions, temple festivals and other mass gatherings as it will be cost-effective to buy from the wholesale market rather than retail outlets in their own towns and cities.

Though there are only 3,200 shops, the vendors could be easily more than 6,000 as many outlets are shared by at least two people who make business separately.

“Around 4,000 vendors sell vegetables alone. And we get supplies from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and other states, while supplies from here go to almost every district in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry. Sometimes, we also sell vegetables to vendors from Karnataka when they do not have the supply in abundance,” Abdul Khader, secretary of Koyambedu Vegetable Wholesale Merchants’ Association, told DH.

The market complex is maintained by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and managed by the Market Management Committee constituted as per the Tamil Nadu Specified Commodities (Regulation of location) Act 1996. The KWMC administration has legal protection and the MMC is an autonomous body that oversees the functions of the market.

The MMC has a total of 18 members, including six representatives from vendors and meets regularly. The lanes of the market are also home to hundreds of migrant workers who earn through loading and unloading of goods.

Koyambedu is located in proximity to the by-pass road that connects Chennai with Bengaluru and vehicles carrying vegetables need not enter the city while coming to or going from the market. And soon, the mofussil bus terminus came close to the market as well as the Maduravoyal by-pass that connects the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road (Chennai-Kanyakumari) with the Grand Northern Trunk (GNT) Road (Chennai-Kolkata), turning Koyambedu into a landmark in the city.

In 2012, the market was declared a green complex leading to the planting of 1,000 trees in the premises, which also houses a bio-methanation plant set up in 2006 at a cost of Rs 55 million to generate power from vegetable and fruit waste collected from the wholesale market.