The city was established in the 17th century by the British, who developed it into a major urban centre and naval base. By the 20th century, it had become an important administrative centre, as the capital of the Madras Presidency.
Chennai's economy has a broad industrial base in the automobile, technology, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare industries. The city is India's second largest exporter of software, information technology (IT) and information-technology-enabled services (ITES). A major chunk of India's automobile manufacturing industry is based in and around the city.[6][7] Chennai Zone contributes 39 per cent of the State�s GDP. Chennai accounts for 60 per cent of the country�s automotive exports and is referred to as the Detroit of South Asia. |