Mills and Factories around Kalamassery: An Industrial Heritage Walk

Key facts

India’s first aluminium ingot was produced at the Alupuram smelter in Ernakulam district in 1943, according to Hindalco, which now runs the site’s extrusion plant.
FACT was incorporated in 1943 and began producing ammonium sulphate at Udyogamandal, Eloor, in 1947.
Travancore-Cochin Chemicals at Udyogamandal began commercial caustic soda production in January 1954.
HMT’s Kalamassery machine-tool complex dates from 1964 and is in HMT Colony, Kalamassery 683503.
The Premier Tyres plant at Kalamassery was set up in 1962 and later became a unit of Apollo Tyres; Premier Junction and Kalamassery metro station sit in front of it.

The Aluva Manappuram Siva temple with its tiled roof on the sandy riverbank. Photo: Vis M / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Why this belt became a factory district

Three things drew industry here in the 1930s–60s: the Periyar river for process water and transport, cheap hydroelectric power from Travancore’s projects, and the push by the princely state – especially under Diwan Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer – to industrialise. After independence the Union government added public-sector units. The result is a crescent of plants running from Alupuram and Kalamassery across to Eloor and Edayar. For the town-level story, see how Kalamassery became an industrial town.

Almost every site below is a working or secured industrial premises. Look from the public road, do not enter gates or photograph security areas, and never go near the Naval Armament Depot fence with a camera.

The factories, one by one

Alupuram: India’s first aluminium smelter (1938)

Indian Aluminium Company (INDAL) commissioned the Alupuram works in 1938, and Hindalco says the country’s first aluminium ingot was poured here in 1943. An extrusion plant followed in 1955 – India’s first. The smelter was de-energised in August 2003 after a power-tariff concession ended; the extrusion unit continues under Hindalco and makes profiles and truck bodies. The place name *Alupuram* almost certainly comes from the aluminium works.

FACT, Udyogamandal (1943)

The Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore began in 1943 and started making ammonium sulphate in 1947 – initially from wood-based gas, a reminder of how improvised early industry was. It became a public-sector company in 1960. FACT’s Udyogamandal complex at Eloor is still the anchor of the belt. Read our guide to FACT Udyogamandal and the history of Udyogamandal.

Travancore-Cochin Chemicals (1951)

TCC was incorporated on 8 November 1951 and began commercial production of caustic soda in January 1954. According to the company, it was the first Indian plant to make rayon-grade caustic soda – the chemical link to the rayon mills of the period. It still produces caustic soda and chlorine at Udyogamandal.

Hindustan Insecticides, Udyogamandal (1957)

The central public-sector HIL set up its Udyogamandal unit in 1957. Today it lists products such as mancozeb and other agrochemicals. Environmental groups have long criticised pesticide and chemical discharges in the Eloor area, a part of this heritage that should not be skipped.

Premier Tyres → Apollo Tyres, Kalamassery (1962)

A tyre plant opened at Kalamassery in 1962 as Premier Tyres. In the mid-1990s it passed to the Apollo group (through PTL Enterprises) and is known today as Apollo Tyres’ Kalamassery plant. Its legacy is literally on the map: Premier Junction on NH 544, where Kalamassery metro station stands in front of the factory.

HMT, Kalamassery (1964)

Hindustan Machine Tools opened its Kalamassery complex in 1964, making lathes and, through a printing machinery division, offset presses. The company’s land holdings shaped the whole north of the town – HMT Colony, the medical college, NUALS and now the Adani logistics park and planned Judicial City sit on or beside former HMT land. See HMT Kalamassery.

Further out: Edayar and Perumbavoor

Binani Zinc / Edayar Zinc, Edayar – a zinc smelter on the Periyar that stopped smelting in 2014, according to company filings. The wider estate is covered in our Edayar industrial area guide.
Travancore Rayons, Perumbavoor – became operational in 1950 and was described as one of Asia’s early rayon makers; it is now defunct and its premises largely abandoned, according to Onmanorama.

A suggested half-day loop

There is no official trail, but this order follows the roads sensibly. Use buses or your own two-wheeler, and treat timings as rough.

Start at Premier Junction (Kalamassery metro) and look across at the tyre plant.
Walk or ride up to HMT Junction and along HMT Road to see the HMT gate and colony quarters.
Cross towards Pathalam and Eloor over the Periyar branch – see our Pathalam and Eloor Road guide.
Pass the FACT and TCC frontages at Udyogamandal from the public road.
If you still have time, continue to Edayar, or end on the riverbank – our Periyar riverside evenings guide has quieter spots.

Staying on NAD Road while you explore

If you are a student of industrial history, an engineering trainee or a new joiner at one of these plants, Ashraf Gents Hostel is a men-only hostel and PG at Ashraf house, NAD Road, at the signal in Kalamassery. NAD Road sits between HMT and the Aluva side of the belt, so most of the sites above are a short ride away – check the exact route for your shift.

The hostel’s photos show twin-sharing rooms with cots and mattresses, red-oxide floors, a kitchen and a tiled bathroom – see the photo gallery. The indicative rate on its public profile is about ₹2,000–3,000 per head per month, negotiable, with one month’s advance; confirm everything, including what is provided, on +91 90746 23855.

Frequently asked questions

What was the first big factory in the Kalamassery area?

The Alupuram aluminium works, commissioned by INDAL in 1938, is the oldest large plant we could confirm. FACT followed in 1943.

Is the Premier Tyres factory still running?

The plant set up as Premier Tyres in 1962 became an Apollo Tyres unit and is still known as Apollo Tyres Kalamassery. Check current operations locally.

Can I visit FACT or HMT as a tourist?

No. These are working industrial premises with controlled entry. You can see the frontages from public roads; formal visits need permission from the company.

Why is Eloor associated with pollution?

Dozens of chemical units discharge near the Periyar at Eloor, and environmental studies, including Greenpeace’s from 1999, labelled it a toxic hotspot.

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.