Chandra Builders Enterprises Ltd (CBEL)

Chandra Builders Enterprises Ltd (CBEL) was started in the year 1994 as a public limited company with Dr C. V. Ananthasayanam as its Managing Director. CBEL is sister concern of National Company a partnership firm which had its humble beginning in early 1940’s when its founder Shri.N.Munusamy Mudaliar started his career as a maintenance person involved in repairing and replacing plumbing lines in Government buildings including Rajbhavan. Impressed with his good work, the then Governor of Madras, an English man, recommended to the Engineer-in-charge to get Shri. Mudaliar registered as a contractor with P.W.D. Accordingly Shri Mudaliar started his carrier as a P.W.D contractor and named his firm as ‘National Company’ and had also registered its name as a contactor in 1954 in P.W.D.

His hard work, business acumen and good public relations, has built up the company to the level it is today. The first major constructions in 1960 were the Police Radio building on Beach road and The Students Hostel at Saidapet on Mount Road.

Many prestigious projects such as ‘Kuralagam’(2,20,000 sq.ft) at Esplanade, 10 storied Namakkal Kavignar building (4,40,000 sq.ft) for Secretariat, Centenary building (2,00,000 sq.ft) for Chennai Port Trust, Orthopedic and Nero surgical blocks in Government General hospital, 80% of the buildings in Salem Engineering college campus, 60% of the buildings in Central polytechnic, Taramani, and several buildings, labs, and hostels in Guindy Engineering college campus. The TWAD Board building and the Board of Revenue building on Kamarajar salai (Beach road) were also built by the company in a record time.

The 1970's , saw the company foray into construction of bridges, pile foundation and pre-stressed concrete structures. The company has built nearly 20 small and big bridges in and around Chennai, the important ones being the ‘Thiru-Vi-Ka bridge across Adyar river, bridge across backwaters at Thenpakkam near Marakanam, a pre-stressed concrete deck bridge near Cuddalore and Okkiam Thorappakam for Veeranam project and scores of bridges across Cooum and Buckingham canal in Chennai city.

The company pioneered in the construction of pre-tensioned, pre-cast, steam cured beams for bridge decks and constructed many single and multi-span bridges in the city using this technique.

The company stopped Government contracts a decade and half ago and started promoting and owning buildings for real estate purposes. The important among them being the ‘Padma Complex’ (1,50,000 sq.ft) at Nandanam where Apollo Cancer Hospitals function from, ‘NC Complex’ at Tambaram. CBEL has forayed into commercial and residential buildings in collaboration with National Company since 1994 and many residential accommodations at Guindy, Tambaram, Saidapet, Sriperumbudur and at Anna Nagar, Chennai.

National company also owned and operated two theatres at Tambaram and Virugambakkam (Thats where Chandra Metro Mall is now functioning) two theatres were constructed by the company. Besides, its has also constructed Kalyana Mandapams on Arcot road and operated the same.

The company is registered with the Registrar of firms. Shri Mudaliar and his Engineer son-in-law Dr.C.V.Ananthasayanam were the Managing Partners of National Company. Shri Mudaliar died in the year 2001. Today the business of National Company is being conducted with Dr.(Mrs.)Chandra Ananthasayanam and Dr.Arjun A.Raja as Partners.