Chennai metropolitan area

Chennai Metropolitan Area Greater Chennai
Metropolitan area
Chennai skyline
Nickname(s):  Health Capital of India, Gateway of South India, Detroit of Asia
CMA expanded boundary
Country	India
State	Tamil Nadu
Core city	Chennai
Districts	Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Ranipet
Area
• Metro	5,904 km2 (2,280 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Rank	4
• Metro	12,288,000
• Metro density	2,100/km2 (5,400/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Chennaivasi, Chennaiite
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (Indian Standard Time)
GDP	US$ 219 Billion[1]
Website	www.cmdachennai.gov.in
Area note: Area of CMA was expanded from 1189 sq.km to 5904 sq.km in 2022.[2] Population note: As per the 2011 census, population corresponding to the pre-expansion limits was about 8.9 million.[3] The population estimate corresponding to the post-expansion limits was given as 12.28 million (based on the 2011 census) by CMDA.[4]

Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) or Greater Chennai is the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in India and the 35th most populous in the world. It consists of the core city of Chennai, which is coterminous with the Chennai district, and its suburbs in Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Thiruvallur and Ranipet districts.

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is the nodal agency that handles town planning and development within the metro area. In 1974, an area encompassing 1,189 km² (459 sq mi) around the city was designated as the metropolitan area which was subsequently expanded to 5,904 km² (2,280 sq mi) in 2022.