Chennai - An Expat and NRI Survival Guide

Chennai: An Expat and NRI Survival Guide

Are you relocating to Chennai?

• Is Chennai a good city for making a home and raising a family?
• What is special about this city?
• Is it too conservative?

These are sure to be the questions on your mind if you are planning to visit or relocate to Chennai. This city has a unique character. It is traditional, progressive and culturally very rich. If you want to experience life in a city that’s a perfect example of India’s economic and technological boom, yet retaining some of its most valued traditions and cultural wealth, Chennai is a brilliant choice.

Expatriates are moving to Chennai and several NRIs have returned after long stints abroad. Chennai has its advantages compared to other cities in India- it is smaller in scale, is globally well connected, has some good educational and medical facilities and is a culturally vibrant city. An NRI who recently returned aptly states ‘I think the biggest plus as compared to a city like Mumbai is that you don’t have to grapple with a crowded metro system to get from point A to B or spend a fortune on cab rides. And if you compare Chennai with Delhi, again it has a much lower crime rate and is considered safer especially for women. To me these are big advantages that expats will appreciate!’.

This eBook is meant to give you a head start in Chennai. It answers all basic questions about the city, cross cultural issues, utility and services, schools and medical facilities, information resources, shopping hot spots, recreational and cultural centres, doing business and more.

Interviews with expats and NRIs give you the real picture about life in Chennai and how it has changed from a sleepy town to a ‘hip and worldly’ city. Despite the visible change, expats are still advised to ‘make the cultural adjustment expected even in the most modern Indian cities – to be a bit more conscious of what you wear, avoid display of affection in public etc. if you don’t want to attract unnecessary attention’. The ‘Chilli Tips’ will make your life easier and opinion from those who moved here is to ‘Take it easy / enjoy your time! Whatever you do, it will never happen as expected. Anyway, it will be an unforgettable experience!’.

The first edition of Chennai expat guide was published in January 2007. This is an updated version of the guide. We have checked URLs, added snippets of interesting information and experience sharing by new arrivals in Chennai.

We have published guides for Indian cities including Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata,Noida and Bangalore. Our expat survival guides provide selective and relevant information for the expat reader. They do not have any promotional content or advertorials.

Chennai is a historically important and economically progressive city in India. It is difficult to cover all facets of the city in just a few pages. This eBook is akin to a curtain raiser and is sure to help you fine tune daily life as soon as your arrive.

Please mail us your suggestions, corrections and experiences.

A valuable document if you are new to the city.