Tamil Nadu, India’s southernmost state, is tucked away along the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Its capital city is Chennai, formerly known as Madras. According to the 2011 Indian census, it is the fourth-largest urban agglomeration and the sixth most populous city in India. The Greater Chennai Corporation, which was founded in 1688, is the oldest municipal corporation in India and the second oldest in the world, after London.

The Chola, Pandya, Pallava, and Vijayanagara dynasties were among the kingdoms that ruled the area in the past. In the 17th century, the Nayak king Chennapa Nayaka sold the coastal area where the fishing community of Madrasapattinam was located to the British East India Company. The first British fortress in India was built by the British, who also founded the city of Madras and built Fort St. George. Later, during the colonial era, Madras was designated Presidency’s winter capital. Following India’s independence in 1947, Madras retained its status as the capital city of the Madras State, later Tamil Nadu. The official renaming of the city to Chennai occurred in 1996.

The Chennai Metropolitan Area is made up of the city, Chennai district, and the suburbs that surround it. With one of India’s biggest metropolitan economies, this urban sprawl is the 35th largest in the world by population. Chennai used to have the third-largest expat community in India and is home to the country’s fifth-largest urban economy. Chennai, the entry point to South India, receives a lot of tourists and was ranked 36th world’s most visited cities in 2019. Its appeal is highlighted by its ranking as a beta-level city in the Global Cities Index, which frequently names it as one of India’s best places to live and praises its safety.

Chennai, known as “India’s health capital,” is a major destination for medical tourists. It is known as the “Detroit of India” because of its importance in the auto sector. Notably, Chennai placed ninth on Lonely Planet’s list of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities and was the only city in South Asia to be featured in National Geographic’s 2015 “Top 10 food cities.” The city’s cultural significance was further highlighted in October 2017 when it was added to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Chennai also maintains sway as a significant center for film production, particularly recognized for its Tamil-language cinema industry.