Archive · 12 Oct 2026
Parangipettai: India’s Forgotten Port That Forged Early Steel
Parangipettai is a coastal town in Tamil Nadu with a long history.
It was once called Porto Novo and welcomed ships from many parts of the world.
Traders bought and sold goods there, and the town also made well-known gold coins.
A major battle took place there in 1781.
In 1830, Josiah Marshall Heath started a large iron and steel factory in the town.
Its steel was even sent to England, but the factory later closed.
Over time, the port and furnaces became quiet.
Today, many people know Parangipettai for its halwa and sweet shops.
The article argues that the town deserves to be remembered for its role in India’s early industry and trade.
Parangipettai, once called Porto Novo, was a busy Coromandel Coast port linking traders from Asia, Arabia and Europe.
European powers competed for influence there, and the 1781 Battle of Porto Novo was fought between Hyder Ali’s Mysore army and the British East India Company.
The Nawabs of Arcot minted gold Porto Novo Pagods that became trusted among merchants.
In 1830, Josiah Marshall Heath founded the Porto Novo Iron Works, described in the article as India’s first modern iron and steel plant.
The works closed in the late 1860s; today Parangipettai is known for its halwa and traditional sweet shops.
- Who
- Parangipettai’s traders, the Nawabs of Arcot, Josiah Marshall Heath, and competing European powers are among the people and groups described.
- What
- The article recounts Parangipettai’s history as a trading port, minting centre, site of a major battle, and location of an early modern iron and steel works.
- When
- The article describes events across many centuries, including the 1781 battle, the iron works founded in 1830, and its closure in the late 1860s.
- Where
- Parangipettai, formerly Porto Novo, on the Coromandel Coast in Tamil Nadu, about 200 kilometres south of Chennai.
- Why
- Its coastal location supported maritime trade, while access to iron ore, waterways and fuel supported Heath’s industrial venture.
- Location
- Coromandel Coast, Tamil Nadu, about 200 kilometres south of Chennai
- Former name
- Porto Novo
- Battle
- Battle of Porto Novo, 1781, during the Second Anglo-Mysore War
- Iron works founded
- 1830, by Josiah Marshall Heath
- Reported production
- Nearly 40 tonnes of pig iron per week
- Iron works closed
- Late 1860s
- Present-day association
- Halwa and traditional sweet shops