Chennai is the Capital of the State Tamil Nadu and is India's Fourth Largest Metropolitan City. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. With an Estimated Population of 7.06 Million (2007), the 368-Year-Old City is the 34th Largest Metropolitan Area in the World.

Chennai is the Third Largest commercial and Industrial centre in India, and is known for its Cultural Heritage and temple architecture. It is also a hub for South Indian Classical music and Dance Performances. Chennai is considered the Automobile Capital of India, with a major percentage of the automobile industry having a base here and a major portion of the nation's vehicles being produced here. This has led to Chennai being referred to as the Detroit of South Asia. It has also become a major centre for outsourced jobs from the West. The 12-kilometre long Marina Beach forms the city's east coast.

The name Madras is derived from Madraspatnam, the site chosen by the British East India Company for a permanent settlement in 1639. Another small town, Chennapatnam, lay to the south of it. In due course the two towns were merged, and the term Madras was favoured by the British. However, locals used to refer to it as Chennapatnam or Chennapuri. The city was renamed Chennai in August, 1996 as the name Madras was perceived to be of Portuguese origin. Another (unproven) theory is that Chennapattinam was named after the Chenna Kesava Perumal temple which later on became Chennai. One more theory suggests that Chennai is derived from the name of the original owner of the land Chinnappa Naicker. He is said to have sold his land to the East India Company to set up a base for the Madras Presidency Yet another theory suggests that the name Madras might have been due to the type of cloth called Madras which was produced widely here.

Chennai city is governed by the Corporation of Chennai, which consists of a Mayor and 155 Councillors representing the 155 Wards (all directly elected by the city residents), one of whom is elected by the other Councillors as a Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor preside over about 10 Standing Committees. The Corporation takes care of the civic functions of the metropolis.

The metropolitan region of Chennai covers many suburbs that are part of Kanchipuram and Thiruvallur districts. The larger suburbs are goverened by town municipalities while the smaller ones are governed by town councils called panchayats.

Chennai being the Capital of Tamil Nadu houses the executive and legislative headquarters of the government of Tamil Nadu. They are primarily housed in the Secretariat Buildings, part of the Fort St George campus as well as many other buildings scattered around the city. The Madras High Court, whose jurisdiction extends across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is the highest judicial authority in the state and is located in the city.