Govindappa Naicken Street and its surrounding by lanes are a supermarket for electrical goods. Nearly 90 years old, Govindappa Naicken Street, to a newcomer, would appear crowded, noisy and chaotic.

The street is choc a block with tricycles, tempos and fish carts loading and unloading goods, from early in the morning till late in the evening. Today, there are over a 1,000 shops dealing exclusively with electrical goods on Govindappa Naicken Street and its surrounding bylanes. The market, commonly referred to as Govindappa Naicken Street, comprises Govindappa Naicken Street, Strotten Muthiah Mudali Street, Krishna Iyer Street, Reddy Raman Street, N.S.C Bose Road and its bylanes.

PVC wires, switches and pulse units, industrial fans, Pollution control systems, cable terminal ends, earth rods, LT Power capacitors, Domestic cables, Intermediate cables, Aviation cables…the list of products available on this street seems endless.

In the 1940's with the growth of the market, the traders organized themselves and formed their own association - The Madras Electric Trades Association (META). META was founded with the primary aim of restoring price stability of electrical products, which were imported at that time.

Today the association's responsibilities have grown along with the growth of the market and it conducts several interaction programmes between traders and government departments like Commercial Tax department and Quality Control department. It educates the trading community through a quarterly news magazine, on developments in the market.

The association organized 'Electrica 2000' an exhibition of electrical trade, in July 1999. Plans are on the anvil to conduct another exhibition next year on the same scale.

Approach: From Flower Bazaar Police Station or from either side of N.S.C. Bose Road.

Sunday Holiday.