MOTORING AHEAD
Formerly known as Madras, Chennai is the state capital of Tamil Nadu, one of the largest of India’s southern states. Unless driving through this sprawling city in its dead-of-night calm, the first thing you’re likely to notice is the traffic. Dense, seemingly relentless and apparently governed by the simple maxim that everyone always has right of way, it might prove a stern test of newcomers’ nerves, as well as their vehicles’ horns.
Set by the Bay of Bengal alongside a vast sandy beach, it was here that Britain’s East India Company first gained a toehold on the Coromandel Coast in 1639. Fort St George initially dominated its leased strip of land and its subsequent expansion reflected both sporadic threats (from the French and various regional rulers) and the company’s increasing dominance of South India. The city gradually became the South’s principal naval base and administrative hub.
Today, Tamil Nadu is India’s second-largest state economy. It contributes 8.4 per cent to national
