Lulu Mall Kochi since 2013: How a Mall Changed Edappally

Ashraf Gents Hostel

Key facts

Lulu Mall Kochi opened on 10 March 2013 and was inaugurated by then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy (Wikipedia).
The mall is owned by Abu Dhabi-based LuLu Group International and has about 2 million sq ft of built-up area and more than 300 outlets, according to Wikipedia.
The 433-metre Edappally flyover, built by DMRC as part of Kochi Metro works, opened on 12 September 2016 (Wikipedia; a Kochi Post report gives 11 September).
Edappally metro station opened with the first Aluva–Palarivattom stretch of Kochi Metro, inaugurated on 17 June 2017 (Wikipedia).

Shoppers walking along a corridor of shops inside Lulu Mall, Kochi. Photo: Pinakpani / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Opening day, March 2013

Lulu Mall was built by LuLu Group International, the Abu Dhabi-based retail group founded by M. A. Yusuff Ali, on land at Edappally where the Aluva road (NH 544, then NH 47) meets the Panvel–Kanyakumari road (NH 66, then NH 17). Wikipedia gives the opening date as 10 March 2013 and says it was inaugurated by then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The building was designed by Atkins and built by Shapoorji Pallonji, with a reported cost of more than ₹1,600 crore.

At opening it was described in the press as one of India’s largest malls, with about 2 million sq ft of built-up area (some 2013 reports gave a larger figure), more than 300 outlets, a nine-screen multiplex, an ice rink, a 2,500-seat food court and parking for about 3,000 cars. Wikipedia flags parts of its article as relying on the mall’s own material, so we have kept to the widely repeated figures.

Timeline

Date	What happened	Source
10 March 2013	Lulu Mall opens at Edappally junction	Wikipedia; Economic Times (10 March 2013)
12 September 2016	Edappally flyover opens (Kochi Post reports 11 September)	Wikipedia; CPPR/Kochi Post
17 June 2017	Kochi Metro’s Aluva–Palarivattom stretch, including Edappally station, inaugurated	Wikipedia: Kochi Metro
19 June 2017	Metro opens to the public	Wikipedia: Kalamassery metro station
October 2022	NHAI begins six-laning the Edappally–Moothakunnam stretch of NH 66	Wikipedia: Edappally Junction
May 2025	Twin flyovers and underpasses at the junction reported about 60% complete	Wikipedia, citing Construction World

Traffic: the first effect everyone noticed

The mall’s arrival turned an already busy junction into a daily bottleneck. Press reports in 2013 described large crowds in the opening months and queues on the roads around the junction, and the slow crawl through Edappally became part of every Aluva–Ernakulam commute. Wikipedia’s article on Edappally Junction still describes it as one of the most congested points on the city’s highway network, citing a May 2022 report in The Hindu.

The longer-term fix was a flyover, built by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation as part of Kochi Metro works, with carriageways on either side of the metro viaduct. The 433-metre Edappally flyover, costing about ₹78 crore including rehabilitation, opened on 12 September 2016 according to Wikipedia; a Kochi Post report republished by CPPR gives the inauguration as 11 September 2016. Reports at the time said it eased but did not end the jams, and a 2017 Deccan Chronicle piece argued that the Edappally and Aluva flyovers had not solved congestion at their junctions.

The metro at the doorstep

When Kochi Metro’s first section, Aluva to Palarivattom, was inaugurated on 17 June 2017, Edappally station opened beside the mall, and Wikipedia notes a direct walkway from the station to the mall. For people in Kalamassery this changed the trip: instead of a bus through the junction, the mall became a few stops from Kalamassery metro station or Cochin University station. Our guide to Lulu Mall from Kalamassery covers the current routes.

How Edappally changed around the mall

A second wave of road works followed: in October 2022 NHAI began widening the Edappally–Moothakunnam section of NH 66 to six lanes, including two 650-metre flyovers with underpasses at the junction, reported about 60 per cent complete in May 2025 (Wikipedia, citing Construction World). Wikipedia also lists a 273-room Kochi Marriott hotel built next to the mall. The junction also became a reference point: people now give directions by “Lulu” as often as by the old Edappally church. Rents and land values around Edappally rose over the decade, though we have not found an official study isolating the mall’s effect; see our cautious overview of rents around Kalamassery since 2015 and the comparison of Edappally and Kalamassery as places to live.

Visitor totals published by the mall itself (about 250 million visitors by 2023, according to Wikipedia, which flags that figure as needing an independent source) should be read as company claims.

Why it matters near the NAD signal

For men living around Kalamassery, Lulu is the nearest big mall, cinema and food court, and the metro makes it an easy evening out. The story of the flyover and the metro also explains why Edappally traffic is still the slowest part of many commutes. Ashraf Gents Hostel on NAD Road is a quieter base away from the junction, with monthly and daily stays for men confirmed on the call. More dated stories are in the Kalamassery history archive.

Frequently asked questions

When did Lulu Mall Kochi open?

It opened on 10 March 2013 and was inaugurated by then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Who owns Lulu Mall Kochi?

It is owned by LuLu Group International, an Abu Dhabi-based retail group.

When was the Edappally flyover opened?

Wikipedia gives 12 September 2016; a Kochi Post report gives 11 September 2016. It was built by DMRC as part of Kochi Metro works.

Is there a metro station at Lulu Mall?

Yes. Edappally metro station, which opened with the first metro section in June 2017, is beside the mall and linked by a walkway.

How do I get to Lulu Mall from Kalamassery?

The simplest way is Kochi Metro from Kalamassery or Cochin University station to Edappally; see our guide for current details.

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 8 October 2026. How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.

Cite this guide: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “Lulu Mall Kochi since 2013: How a Mall Changed Edappally.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/lulu-mall-kochi-history/ Plain-text (Markdown) version · quoting with a link back is welcome.