Chennai, originally Madras, is the capital of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state in India. It is the state’s main city on the Bay of Bengal’s Coromandel Coast. According to the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the fourth most populous urban agglomeration and the sixth most populous city in India. After London, the Greater Chennai Corporation is the second-oldest municipal corporation in the world, founded in 1688. In India, it is the oldest.

Throughout history, the region has alternately been a part of the Chola, Pandya, Pallava, and Vijayanagara kingdoms. In the seventeenth century, Chennapa Nayaka, the Nayak king, sold the coastal region to the British East India Company, which at the time included the fishing community of Madrasapattinam. The city and port of Madras, as well as the first British fortress in India, Fort St. George, were built by the British military. The town was named the winter capital of the Madras Presidency, a British Raj colonial province on the Indian subcontinent. After India gained its independence in 1947, Madras continued to serve as the capital of both the Madras State and present-day Tamil Nadu. The city’s official name was changed to Chennai in 1996.

The city is adjacent to the Chennai district, which, together with the nearby suburbs, forms the Chennai Metropolitan region. This region is the 35th largest urban area in the world by population and is home to one of India’s largest metropolitan economies. Chennai has India’s fifth-largest urban economy and the third-largest expat population. One of the most popular Indian cities and the 36th most visited city worldwide in 2019, Chennai is the entry point to South India. Chennai is frequently listed as a beta-level city on the Global Cities Index, making it one of the safest and best locations to live in India.

Chennai is a major center for medical tourism and is referred to as “India’s health capital.” Chennai is called the “Detroit of India” since a significant portion of the nation’s auto industry is based there. It ranked ninth on Lonely Planet’s list of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities and was the only South Asian city to make it into National Geographic’s 2015 “Top 10 Food Cities” list. In October 2017, Chennai was included in the list of cities that are part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). It is a major center for film production and is home to the Tamil-language film industry.