Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India by area (about the size of Greece) and the seventh most populous state. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. It is the fifth largest contributor to India’s GDP and ranks tenth in Human Development Index.

Tamil Nadu covers an area of 130,058 square kilometres (50,216 sq mi), and is the eleventh largest state in India and has country’s third longest coastline of about 910 kilometres (600 miles). The bordering states are Kerala to the west, Karnataka to the northwest and Andhra Pradesh to the north. To the east is the Bay of Bengal and the union territory of Puducherry. The southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula is located in Tamil Nadu. At this point is the town of Kanyakumari which is the meeting point of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean.

The state has the highest number (10.56%) of business enterprises and stands second in total employment (9.97%) in India, compared to the population share of about 6%. Tamil Nadu has attracted several industrial sectors that are a part of India’s new economy sectors. In recent years, these industries have helped the state achieve over 13 per cent of GSDP growth. The Census 2001 highlighted that Tamil Nadu has the highest level of urbanisation rate (43.86 per cent) among all states.

The state attracted cumulative FDI inflows of US$ 5.2 billion between April 2000 and October 2009 and is amongst the highest FDI attracting states. FDI inflows have helped achieve greater technological advancement and more value added, exportable products.

The state comprises of well qualified, skilled, disciplined, productivity-oriented and English-speaking workforce. The standard of education and educational institutions is highly rated in the country. Average wages are also lower than similar workforce in the developed countries.

At current prices, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Tamil Nadu was about US$ 73.7 billion in 2008-09. The average GSDP growth rate from 2001-02 to 2008-09 was about 13.2 per cent. The tertiary sector’s share in GSDP was 55.3 per cent in 2008-09. Trade, hotels and restaurants –the largest sub-group of the sector –registered a growth of 11.9 per cent over the previous year.

The region has been the home of the Tamil people since at least 500 BC. Its official language Tamil has been in use in inscriptions and literature for over 2000 years. Tamil Nadu is home to many natural resources, grand Hindu temples of Dravidian architecture, hill stations, beach resorts, multi-religious pilgrimage sites and eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai are the three major cities of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the largest urban metropolis of the state. Coimbatore is a major textiles and engineering hub of South India. The hill stations of Ooty, Coonnorand Valparaiare close to Chennai make it a good base for tourists, all year round.

Madurai is regarded as the ‘Temple City’ and known for its cultural significance.

Tamil Nadu is heavily dependent on monsoon rains, and thereby is prone to droughts when the monsoons fail. The climate of the state ranges from dry sub-humid to semi-arid.