Chennai, India
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Time in Chennai compared to other major cities right now.
About Chennai, India
Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu on India's southeastern coast, is a major cultural, economic, and educational center of South India. The city is known for its classical Carnatic music traditions, the Tamil film industry (Kollywood), and as a manufacturing hub for automobiles and electronics.
Time zone details
Chennai observes IST (Asia/Kolkata in the IANA database). The UTC offset and any daylight saving transitions are handled automatically by your browser's time zone library. If you're scheduling a meeting or call, use our time zone converter for an exact difference on a specific date.
Calling India from abroad
The international dialing code for India is +91. To call a phone number in Chennai, dial your country's international access code, then +91, then the local number (drop the leading zero if there is one).
Currency in India
The official currency is INR (₹). Exchange rates fluctuate daily — check a currency converter for the latest rate against your home currency before any transaction.
Languages spoken
Common languages include Tamil, English.
Top places to visit in Chennai
- Marina Beach — World's second-longest urban beach, a 6 km stretch along the Bay of Bengal.
- Kapaleeshwarar Temple — Centuries-old Tamil temple in Mylapore dedicated to Lord Shiva.
- Fort St. George — The first English fortress in India, now home to a museum of colonial-era artifacts.
Top local foods of Chennai
- Filter coffee — Strong South Indian coffee brewed with chicory, served in a stainless steel tumbler and dabarah.
- Idli with sambar — Steamed rice cakes served with lentil-and-tamarind stew and coconut chutney.
- Chettinad chicken — Fiery, peppery curry from the Chettinad region with roasted spices and curry leaves.
Working with someone in Chennai
When scheduling a call or meeting with someone in Chennai, the time difference from your location is shown at the top of this page. For deeper coordination tips, see our guide on working across time zones and time zone etiquette for global meetings.