Tamil Nadu Timeline

IndustryMadras State (Congress era)

Enfield India set up to build the Bullet in Madras

· Tiruvottiyur

Enfield India set up to build the Bullet in Madras
Samihasib, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Enfield India was formed with Madras Motors to assemble the Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle in Madras.

After independence the Indian government chose the Royal Enfield Bullet for army border patrols and ordered 800 units in 1954. In 1955 the Redditch company partnered with Madras Motors to form Enfield India, which assembled the 350 cc Bullet under licence in Madras. The factory tooling was later sold to Enfield India, and by 1962 all components were made in India. The Tiruvottiyur plant made Royal Enfield motorcycles for decades.

Related events

  1. 1948

    1. 7 Sep 1948EnnoreIndustry

      Ashok Motors (later Ashok Leyland) founded in Madras

      Raghunandan Saran founded Ashok Motors in Madras to assemble cars; it became Ashok Leyland in 1955.

  2. 1951

    1. 1951VandalurIndustry

      Standard Motor Products begins car production in Madras

      Standard Motor Products of India completed its first locally built Standard Vanguard cars at Vandalur near Madras.

  3. 1955

    1. 2 Oct 1955PeramburIndustry

      Integral Coach Factory founded at Perambur

      The Integral Coach Factory, a railway coach manufacturing unit of Indian Railways, was established at Perambur in Madras.

  4. 1960

    1. Nov 1960TiruvottiyurIndustry

      Madras Rubber Factory incorporated to make tyres

      Madras Rubber Factory, begun as a balloon maker at Tiruvottiyur, was incorporated to manufacture tyres.

  5. 1961

    1. 1961AvadiIndustry

      Heavy Vehicles Factory set up at Avadi

      Battle tanks became the business of the Heavy Vehicles Factory, which the Ordnance Factory Board set up at Avadi.

  6. 1962

    1. 1962HosurIndustry

      Sundaram Clayton founded by the TVS group

      Formed with the UK firm Clayton Dewandre to build brakes and vehicle components, Sundaram Clayton laid the groundwork for TVS Motor.

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