Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is the state's primate city and is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Chennai is the sixth-most populous city in India and forms the fourth-most populous urban agglomeration Incorporated in 1866, the Greater Chennai Corporation is the oldest municipal corporation of India and the second oldest in the world after London.
Tourism in India is 4.6% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Unlike other sectors, tourism is not a priority sector for the Government of India. Forbes magazine ranked India as the 7th most beautiful country in 'The 50 Most Beautiful Countries In The World' rankings. The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹13.2 lakh crore (US$170 billion) or 5.8% of India's GDP and supported 32.1 million jobs in 2021. Even though, these numbers were lower than the pre-pandemic figures; the country's economy witnessed a significant growth in 2021 after the massive downturn during 2020. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 7.8% to ₹33.8 lakh crore (US$420 billion) by 2031. India has established itself as the 5th largest global travel healthcare destination with an estimated market size of around $9 billion in 2019, out of the total global travel healthcare industry of $44.8 billion(2019). In 2014, 184,298 foreign patients travelled to India to seek medical treatment.
South India, also known as Peninsular India, is the southern part of the peninsular Deccan Plateau in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area and 20% of India's population. It is bound by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean in the south. The geography of the region is diverse, with two mountain ranges, the Western and Eastern Ghats, bordering the plateau heartland. The Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Tungabhadra and Vaigai rivers are important non-perennial sources of water. Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Kochi are the largest urban areas in the region.
The economy of South India after independence in 1947 conformed to a socialist framework, with strict governmental control over private sector participation, foreign trade and foreign direct investment (FDI). Through 1960–1990, South Indian economies experienced mixed economic growth. In the 1960s, Kerala achieved above-average economic growth, while Andhra Pradesh's economy declined during this period. Similarly, Kerala experienced an economic decline in the 1970s while the economies of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka consistently exceeded national average growth rates after 1970. South India first started to overtake the rest of India economically in the 1980s. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were noted by some to be more reform-oriented in terms of economic policy when compared to other Indian states. Over the last decade South India has grown at 8% annually. Future economic growth will be shackled by a relatively low proportion of the active age population to the number of dependents. Today, South India has about 20% of India's population, and contributes about 31% of India's GDP; it is projected to contribute 35% by 2030.
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the States of Puducherry, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is the tenth-largest state in India and the seventh most populous state.
The Consulate General of the United States of America in Chennai represents the interests of the United States government in Chennai, India and surrounding regions. The consulate reports to the ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. The current Consul General, the 27th, is Christopher W. Hodges, incumbent since July 2023. He was preceded by Judith Ravin.
The British Deputy High Commission, Chennai is the United Kingdom diplomatic mission with responsibility for the state of Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry. It was formed in 1947 with Sir Christopher Masterman, CSI, CIE, as its inaugural holder, who served as Deputy High Commissioner until the following year. The Deputy High Commissioner is equivalent to a Consul-General, and reports to the British High Commission. The current Deputy High Commissioner is Oliver Ballhatchet. He succeeds Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford.
The Consulate General of Malaysia for Southern India is one of the three missions of Malaysia in India focusing on Malaysian interests in the region. It is located in Chennai and its jurisdiction includes the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry. The other two are the Malaysian High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate General of Malaysia in Mumbai, in addition to an honorary office in Kolkata. The current Consul General of the Chennai Consulate is Saravana Kumar Kumaravasagam.
The Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Chennai represents the interests of the Russian government in the southern region of India. The other missions are the Embassy of the Russian Federation in New Delhi and the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Kolkata and Mumbai. The current Consul General is Oleg N. Avdeev, incumbent since 12 September 2018. He succeeds Sergey L. Kotov.
The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chennai represents the interests of the German government in the Chennai and surrounding regions. The current Consul General is Karin Christina Maria Stoll incumbent since July 2018. She succeeds Achim Fabig.
The Deputy High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Southern India is the mission of Sri Lanka in South India and represents the interests of the Sri Lankan government in the region. It is located in Chennai. The other missions are Consulate General of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mumbai and High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, New Delhi. The Chennai Mission is responsible for the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry. The current deputy high commissioner is Doraisamy Venkateshwaran. He succeeds Vadivel Krishnamoorthy, who held the office for the second time.
The Consulate General of Thailand in Chennai is the mission of Thailand in South India representing the interests of the Thai government in the region. The other missions in the country are the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi and the Royal Thai Consulates General in Kolkata and Mumbai. The Chennai Consulate covers the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala. The current Consul General is Nitirooge Phoneprasert. He succeeds Krongkanit Rakcharoen.
The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bangalore represents the interests of the Government of Germany in the Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala. It was opened on 21 November 2008 in a temporary office in the central business district (CBD) of Bangalore. On 22 June 2012, the Consulate moved to its permanent premises in the corner of St. Mark's Road and Residency Road near the Bishop Cotton Girls' School. Achim Burkart is the current Consul General.
Tamil German or German Tamizhar refer to the German citizens of Tamil ethnic origins mainly from India in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry then Sri Lanka and Malaysia apart from other parts of the world. Tamil migration to Germany which was mainly composed of higher education and labor migrants increased in the late 1980s and onwards mainly due to the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War which saw tens of thousands of those belonging to the Tamil community fleeing the country and seeking asylum elsewhere abroad. The Tamil population figures in Germany currently range somewhere between 50,000-60,000. Karin Stoll is the consul general at the German Consulate in Chennai.
The 2015 South India floods resulted from heavy rainfall generated by the annual northeast monsoon in November–December 2015. They affected the Coromandel Coast region of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. More than 500 people were killed and over 1.8 million people were displaced. With estimates of damages and losses ranging from nearly ₹200 billion (US$3 billion) to over ₹1 trillion (US$13 billion), the floods were the costliest to have occurred in 2015, and were among the costliest natural disasters of the year.
The Consulate General of Israel in Bangalore represents the interests of the Government of Israel in the Indian states of Karnataka and surrounding states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry. It was opened on 20 May 2013 at Murphy Road, Halasuru, Bangalore. The consulate reports to the ambassador at the Embassy of Israel in New Delhi.
Dana Kurdish is the former Consul General of Israel in Bangalore with consular jurisdiction over Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. She served from August 2017 until 2020. She had previously served from June 2015 to July 2017 as Deputy Ambassador of Israel to India in New Delhi.
Lieutenant General Ananthanarayan Arun, YSM, SM, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the Chief of Staff of the South Western Command, Jaipur. He previously served as the General Officer Commanding Dakshin Bharat Area. He earlier served as the officiating Commandant of the Officers Training Academy, Chennai.
