Chennai is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennaipattinam, Madrasapattinam are the other former names of the city. Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, it is a major commercial, cultural, economic and educational center in South India. It is also known as the "Cultural Capital of South India" and was declared as the most livable city in India by the Institute of Competitiveness on account of economic, social, security and medical conditions as parameters.

The area around Chennai had been part of successive South Indian kingdoms through centuries. The recorded history of the city began in the colonial times, specifically with the arrival of British East India Company and the establishment of Fort St. George in 1644. The British defended several attacks from the French colonial forces, and from the kingdom of Mysore, on Chennai's way to becoming a major naval port and presidency city by the late eighteenth century.

Following the independence of India, Chennai became the capital of Tamil Nadu and an important Centre of regional politics that tended to bank on the Dravidian identity of the populace. According to the provisional results of 2011 census, the city had 4.68 million residents making it the sixth most populous city in India; the urban agglomeration, which comprises the city and its suburbs, was home to approximately 8.9 million, making it the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the country and 31st largest urban area in the world.