GST Road, on the other hand, has SEZ developments such as Mahindra, L&T , Shriram, etc, along with multiple industrial units being set up in the vicinity. This consequently allows for mixed developments to be witnessed along the stretch which caters to a larger strata of society . Presently, Rajiv Gandhi Salai is faced with an oversupply situation with vacancy levels greater than 45% while GST doesnt suffer from that problem.
Physical infrastructure is strong in both the locations with the recent upgradation of roads, although connectivity in GST is stronger owing to the Southern Railway line and its proximity to the airport. As State-run buses use the East Coast Road instead of Rajiv Gandhi Salai, lack of public transport continues to plague most stretches of the latter. GST Road also boasts of stronger social infrastructure such as schools, higher education institutions, retail space, hospitals , etc, in comparison with Rajiv Gandhi Salai. However, social infrastructure in Rajiv Gandhi Salai is presently being established and as time progresses, is expected to strengthen further with more schools, hospitals, entertainment and retail centres. Both locations over the long term have the capability to be self-sustaining micro markets in Chennai, although the pace of the growth may vary.
With the recent completion of the fourlane GST Road, additional infrastructure (such as rail and road over-bridges ) is expected in the near future.
In the present scenario, GST has an advantage as compared to Rajiv Gandhi Salai in terms of wholistic sustainable growth coupled with the presence of manufacturing and IT companies. Further, the development in this region is more spread out as compared to Rajiv Gandhi Salai as the latter is developed only on either side on the corridor. That said, Rajiv Gandhi Salai has the potential to develop and may emerge as a hotspot , depending on the pace of