Chennai

Chennai is one of India’s most visited cities, including temples, beaches, and historical and cultural landmarks such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram. Tourists arrive at the city and begin their journey to the remainder of the area, making it the entrance to the southern half of India. In 2009, Chennai was the most visited Indian city by international visitors, while in 2014, it granted the third greatest number of visas on arrival. Chennai was placed 41st in the worldwide top 100 city destination list in 2011, with 3,174,500 visitors, a 14% increase over 2010. In March 2011, around 830,620 domestic visitors visited Chennai. Visitors from Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States are among the most numerous. The city has 21 premium five-star hotels with approximately 4,500 rooms in inventory as of 2012.

ENTERTAINMENT

Chennai is the headquarters of the Tamil film industry, often known as Kollywood. Many cinema stars, like C.N.Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi, M.G. Ramachandran, and J. Jayalalithaa, have gone on to become politics. Chennai is home to significant film studios, notably AVM Productions, India’s oldest surviving studio. There are 120 movie screens and multiplexes as of 2012. Sathyam Cinemas, Escape Cinemas, Devi, Abirami Complex, and Mayajaal are among the major multiplexes. Many Tamil plays of all genres are staged in Chennai’s extensive theatrical network, including political satire, slapstick comedy, history, mythology, and drama. English plays, as well as the more typical Tamil-language plays, are popular in the city.

RECREATION

The city’s principal leisure sites include the zoo, beaches, and animal parks. Chennai’s coastline stretches for more than 19 kilometers. Marina Beach is the world’s second longest urban beach, stretching 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) along the city’s waterfront between the deltas of Cooum and Adyar. Elliot’s Beach is located to the south of the Adyar delta.

Madras Crocodile Bank Trust is a reptile zoo 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the city that covers an area of 8.5 acres (3.4 hectares) and had over 450,000 visitors in 2007. The center contains one of the world’s biggest reptile collections and has raised 14 of the 23 crocodile and alligator species. The Arignar Anna Zoological Park, one of the world’s biggest zoological parks, receives about 20 lakh visitors each year. The Marina and Elliot’s beaches are two of the city’s most popular. Guindy National Park, a Tamil Nadu protected area, features a children’s park and a snake park, which received legislative registration as a medium zoo from the Central Zoo Authority of India in 1995. Chennai is one of the few cities in the world that has a national park, the Guindy National Park. The city’s green cover is estimated to be 4.5 percent of its total area. This allows Chennai citizens to go birdwatching. There are around 260 parks within the seven zones of the former corporate borders, many of which are in disrepair. The city has the smallest per capita park area in India, at 0.41 square meters. There are around 265 spots designated for the creation of new parks in the eight zones in the newly expanded sections of the city. The biggest of the parks is the 358-acre Tholkappia Poonga, which was created to help restore the Adyar estuary’s delicate environment. Semmozhi Poonga, a 20-acre botanical park in central Chennai, is owned by the horticulture department.

MGM Dizzee World and Queens Land are two theme parks in Chennai. Following multiple deadly incidents, the safety of various amusement parks has been called into doubt. In 2017, Wonderla plans to develop an amusement park. Madras Boat Club, which is almost 140 years old, and Gymkhana Club, which is recognized for its 18-hole golf courses, are two more prominent entertainment centers. Madras Boat Club, founded in 1867, is the second oldest surviving Indian rowing club.

SHOPPING

Because of its reputation as an IT powerhouse, Chennai has a plethora of shopping malls. Express Avenue (EA), Citi Centre, Spencer Plaza, Ampa Skywalk, Phoenix Market City, and Forum Vijaya Mall are among the major ones. Chennai is a key gold market in India, accounting for 45 percent of the country’s annual gold intake of 800 tonnes. The World Gold Council’s India activities are also headquartered in the city. The city’s retail business is heavily centered on T. Nagar, which accounts for a significant portion of the jewellery and clothing sold in Chennai. According to the 2012 report Main Streets Across the World by property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield, Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Nungambakkam rated 10th in the list of ‘Top 10 Global Highest Retail Rental Growth Markets 2012,’ with a 36.7 percent increase in rentals.

Chennai has a tropical climate.

Chennai has primarily two seasons: summer (35-42°C / 95-108°F) April–June (the highest temperature ever recorded is 45°C / 113°F on 30 May 2003) and monsoon (35-42°C / 95-108°F on 30 May 2003). (Oct-Dec). It receives little rainfall from the south-west monsoon (Jun-Sep), but enough from the north-east monsoon from October to December, totaling roughly 125–150 cm (49–59 in) of rainfall every year. Rainfall often occurs from October through December. If there are depressions in the Bay of Bengal, Chennai receives a lot of rain during certain seasons.

Temperatures range from 19 and 28 degrees Celsius (66 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit) from December through February.

Because the city is near the coast, the climate is humid almost all year. The summers are quite hot and humid. Make sure to bring light (but not fragile) clothes.

Chennai, often known as the “Gateway to South India,” is situated on India’s south–eastern coast, in the north–eastern region of Tamil Nadu, on a flat coastal plain known as the Eastern Coastal Plains. It has an average elevation of around 6.7 meters (22 feet) and a maximum elevation of 60 meters (200 ft). The Cooum River (or Koovam) flows through the center of Chennai, while the Adyar River flows to the south. A third river, the Kortalaiyar, flows through the city’s northern outskirts before emptying into the Bay of Bengal near Ennore.

The estuary of this river is extensively contaminated by effluents discharged by the region’s enterprises. The Adyar and Cooum rivers are extensively polluted with effluents and trash from home and commercial sources, with the Coumm being so dirty that it is considered an eyesore in the city. A protected estuary on the Adyar River serves as a natural home for a variety of birds and animals. The Buckingham Canal, which runs parallel to the shore 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) inland, connects the two rivers. The Otteri Nullah, an east–west creek, flows through north Chennai and connects with the Buckingham Canal near Basin Bridge. Several lakes of varied sizes may be found in the city’s western outskirts. Excess iron concentration in groundwater is a concern in several parts of the city.

Chennai is the fourth-largest economy in India, with a GDP of US$58.6 billion PPP (US$17 billion nominal GDP, 2010). Chennai has a diverse industrial base that includes the automotive, computer, technology, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare industries. The city is India’s second biggest exporter of information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) services as of 2012. The city is home to a significant portion of India’s car sector, giving it the moniker “Detroit of India.” According to Euromonitor, it is renowned as the Cultural Capital of South India and is the most visited city in India by foreign visitors. The city is also home to the Madras Stock Market, India’s fourth stock exchange and one of four permanently recognized by SEBI. It is also the country’s third-largest by trading volume, behind only the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.

The city’s industrialization stretches back to the 16th century, when textile mills produced commodities that were sent to Britain during its battle with France. According to Forbes magazine, Chennai is one of the world’s fastest growing cities, ranking among the “Forbes-Top 10 Fastest Growing Cities in the World.” It is rated fourth in India for having the most Fortune 500 firms, after only Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata. It also houses 24 Indian enterprises with a combined net value of more than $1 billion. As of 2012, the city has around 34,260 recognised enterprises in its 15 zones, with 5,196 having a paid-up capital of more than 50 lakh.

Chennai’s economy is diverse, with the automotive, software services, hardware manufacturing, health care, and financial services sectors anchoring it. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry, Chennai’s economy would increase to US$100 billion, or 2.5 times its current size, by 2025. As of 2012, the city is ready for massive industrial investment, with a 1 lakh crore investment in the pipeline over the next five years. GaWC classifies Chennai as a global city, assigning it a Beta level based on its worldwide reach and financial significance.

The city is home to around 30% of India’s vehicle sector and 40% of the auto component industry. Hyundai, Renault, Robert Bosch, Nissan Motors, Ashok Leyland, Daimler AG, Caterpillar Inc., Komatsu Limited, Ford, BMW, and Mitsubishi all have manufacturing units in Chennai. The Avadi Heavy Vehicles Factory manufactures military vehicles, notably India’s main battle tank, the Arjun MBT. The Indian Railways use the Integral Coach Factory to build railway coaches and other rolling equipment. Many textile firms are located in the Ambattur–Padi industrial zone, and a special economic zone (SEZ) for garment and footwear production has been established in the city’s southern suburbs. Chennai accounts for more than half of India’s leather exports.

Many software and software services businesses have development centers in Chennai, which contributed 14 percent of India’s total software exports of 14,42,140 lakh in 2006–07, making it India’s second biggest software exporter after Bangalore. When it was developed, Tidel Park in Chennai was advertised as Asia’s biggest IT park. Major software businesses have operations here, with several making Chennai their primary headquarters.

The World Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, ABN AMRO, Bank of America, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, HSBC, ING Group, Allianz, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Asian Development Bank, Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas Fortis, Irevna,Deutsche Bank, and Citibank all have back offices and development centers in the city Chennai is home to the national level commercial banks Indian Bank and Indian Overseas Bank, as well as various state level cooperative banks, finance, and insurance firms. Nokia, Nokia Siemens, Motorola, Dell, Force10, Wipro, Zebronics, Foxconn, and Siemens are among the telecom and electronics firms situated in and near Chennai. Chennai is now India’s leading exporter of electronics gear, accounting for 45 percent of total exports in 2010–11. Telecom behemoths Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent, pharmaceutical behemoth Pfizer, and chemical behemoth Dow Chemicals all have R&D centers in Chennai. Biotechnology enterprises and labs are housed at the TICEL bio–tech park in Taramani and the Golden Jubilee bio–tech park in Siruseri. The Madras Stock Exchange is a stock exchange in Chennai.

According to a National Housing Bank research on the residential price index of Indian cities, Chennai witnessed the most rise during the 2008–2012 global financial crisis. According to a survey conducted by 99acres.com in 2011, Chennai real estate had an average price increase of 7%, with Tambaram, Chrompet, and Thoraipakkam leading the way. Medical tourism is another major sector of the Chennai economy, accounting for 45 percent of all medical visitors in India. The Tamil cinema and television industries are also important components of Chennai’s economy. The Chennai Trade Centre, located in Nandambakkam, is also a permanent exposition facility. Chennai is ranked sixth among Indian cities that are home to the country’s super-rich, with 385 ultra-rich residents. The city is India’s third biggest market for premium automobiles.

LANDLINES

In Chennai, the primary suppliers of terrestrial telephone lines are BSNL and Airtel Reliance, Tata. Long distance calls may be made at one of the numerous booths that show NSD/ISD, which stands for National Subscriber Dialling (National Long Distance) and International Subscriber Dialling (International Long Distance). Calling cards are also available from these suppliers at a low cost.

MOBILE PHONES

With a picture and a copy of your passport, you may purchase a SIM card. Aircel is less expensive for long-distance calls, with 49 card calls to the US and Canada costing 1.50 cents a minute. This will only function in the home network. Please check with the operator for alternative locations.

Reliance, Tata Indicom, Virgin Mobile, and MTS are CDMA service providers.

Starter packs and top-up cards are available from a variety of retailers. All carriers provide Seemles roaming throughout the nation.

INTERNET

There are various Internet cafés where you may connect to the internet to send emails or upload digital images.

• Reliance WebWorld, incorporating JavaGreen coffee shops, Spencers Plaza, Anna Salai (Mount Road); TTK Road, Alwarpet, Besant Nagar, L.B.Road, Adyar. The TTK Road branch has free wifi if you use the coffee shop.
• MTS MBLAZE High Speed Broadband Internet Through USB Modems. Call 9150-955-955

Aside from that, you may use the Internet supplied by your hotel, or if you are staying for an extended period of time, you can purchase Internet packs from any mobile carrier.