HMT Kalamassery: The Machine Tool Factory That Shaped a Neighbourhood

Key facts

Between 1961 and 1964 the Government of Kerala assigned HMT 868.28 acres of land free of cost at Kalamassery for its fourth machine-tool unit.
HMT’s Kalamassery complex dates its inception to 1964; it makes CNC turning machines, sheet-fed offset printing machines and special-purpose machines.
HMT says the Kalamassery complex was the first in India to build a CNC slant-bed turning centre through in-house development, and it runs its own foundry.
The Kerala government has sought 27 acres of HMT land at Kalamassery for a proposed Judicial City; the Supreme Court issued notice to HMT on the plea in November 2025.
HMT Machine Tools’ Kalamassery address is HMT Colony P.O., Kalamassery 683503.

Exterior of the Ashraf Gents Hostel building on NAD Road, Kalamassery. See all hostel photos

A factory town inside a town

Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) was the central government’s machine-tool maker, best remembered by most Indians for its watches. Its Kalamassery unit did not make watches. Between 1961 and 1964 the Government of Kerala assigned HMT 868.28 acres free of cost for a fourth machine-tool unit here; HMT gives 1964 as the complex’s year of inception, while other sources say production began in 1965.

Around the same time the Government of India approved a collaboration between HMT and the Italian firm Nebiolo for printing machinery, and HMT proposed Kalamassery as its location. Printing presses have been one of the unit’s products ever since. Local accounts also link the area’s growth to the panchayat’s choice of the name Kalamassery – the factory and other new industries made the name familiar across the state. For the wider story, see how Kalamassery became an industrial town.

HMT Machine Tools, HMT Colony, Kalamassery. Open in Google Maps · Directions from Ashraf Gents Hostel

What HMT makes here today

According to HMT Machine Tools, the Kalamassery complex makes:

Turning machines – flat-bed and slant-bed CNC lathes and flexible turning cells.
Printing machines – sheet-fed offset presses from single to five colours.
Special-purpose machines, and – according to Wikipedia’s HMT article – directing-gear systems for the Indian Navy.

HMT says the complex was the first in India to build a CNC slant-bed turning centre through in-house development. It has its own foundry (about 2,500 tonnes a year), tool room, heat-treatment plant and pattern shop, and can handle components of up to 10 tonnes. Unlike HMT’s watch business, which closed in 2016, the machine-tool units are still part of the company.

HMT Colony, HMT Junction and HMT Road

A factory of that size needed housing, and the HMT Colony area grew up beside it; it still has its own post office, HMT Colony P.O., under PIN 683503. HMT Junction, where the road from the colony meets the highway side of town, is now one of Kalamassery’s busiest crossings – our HMT Junction guide and North Kalamassery and HMT Colony guide describe them as they are today.

How HMT’s land became half of north Kalamassery

HMT never used all of its land, and over the decades large parts were transferred or sold. Court records describe transfers to the Naval Armament Depot and the Kerala State Electricity Board. The state’s attempt to take back around 400 acres led to long litigation; in 2014 the Kerala High Court held that the land could not be taken under the Kerala Land Reforms Act ceiling provisions. Today, on or beside former HMT land, you find:

KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, KSUM’s startup complex and NUALS – see the KINFRA Hi-Tech Park guide.
The Adani Logistics Park – according to press reports, HMT sold this land in 2004–05 to Blue Star Realtors, an HDIL subsidiary later acquired by the Adani Group. See working at the Adani Logistics Park.
The proposed Kerala Judicial City – the state cabinet gave in-principle approval in 2025 to a judicial city on 27 acres of HMT land. The state asked the Supreme Court for permission to take possession, and the court issued notice to HMT in November 2025, with a 2016 status-quo order still in force. See Judicial City explained.
The Seaport–Airport Road extension – HMT land has been handed over for the HMT–NAD stretch of the road’s second phase; see the Seaport–Airport Road guide.

Living in HMT’s shadow today

For a newcomer, "near HMT" means near a cluster of workplaces and colleges rather than one factory. Ashraf Gents Hostel, a boys’ hostel / PG on NAD Road at the signal in Kalamassery, is on this side of town; its public profile lists NUALS, the Medical College, the Science Park and the Seaport–Airport Road within about 3 km. It is for students, staff and working men only. The indicative rate is about ₹2,000–3,000 per head per month, negotiable, with one month’s advance – confirmed on +91 90746 23855. See the photos first.

Front of the Ashraf Gents Hostel building with its upstairs balcony and green shade net, Kalamassery. See all photos

Frequently asked questions

When was HMT Kalamassery established?

HMT gives 1964 as the inception year of its Kalamassery complex; some sources give 1965 for the start of production. The land was assigned between 1961 and 1964.

Did HMT Kalamassery make watches?

No. The Kalamassery unit makes machine tools and printing machines. HMT’s watches were made elsewhere.

Is the Judicial City being built on HMT land?

It is proposed on 27 acres of HMT land. The Kerala government has asked the Supreme Court for permission to take possession, and the court issued notice to HMT in November 2025.

Is the Adani Logistics Park on former HMT land?

According to press reports, yes – HMT sold it in 2004–05 to Blue Star Realtors, which the Adani Group acquired in 2018.

Sources

Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile and photos; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Last reviewed 7 October 2026. How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.