Chennai formerly known as Madras, is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fifth most populous city in India, and also the world's 36th largest metropolitan area. Marina Beach is acknowledged as one of the longest beaches in Asia. It's 12 km-long stretch is the second longest in the world. There is a drive along the beach circumscribed with palms and casuarinas running the whole length of Chennai. The metropolitan city houses all sorts of attractions, be it famous South Indian Temples, museums, monuments, shopping malls, parks, beaches or picnic spots.

Chennai's economy has a broad industrial base in the automobile, computer, 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).

Also known as Mahabalipuram is a sea-side town which is globally renown for its sea shore temples, rock-cut monuments. It is a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallava Kingdom, which is 20 km from the conference campus. The monuments are mostly rock-cut and monolithic, and constitute the early stages of Dravidian architecture. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th century, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Some important structures include:
Arjuna's Penance - the world's largest bas-relief, Varaha cave temple, The Shore temple, Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) - five monolithic pyramidal structures, each carved out from one single large piece of stone which was named after the Pandavas and Draupadi (From the Hindu epic "Mahabharata"). Mahabalipuram is also a favourite shopping haunt place for South Indian artifacts, both wooden and granite based. It also house a famous temple for Lord Vishnu.

Pondicherry - The French Riviera of the East, is the Union Territory, 130 Km away from campus, which was a French colony in 1675 and stayed with them till 1954 when merged with the Indian Union. This town with the streets aligned at right angles is not like any other Indian town either. Its skyline from offshore is typical of the French-influenced Mediterranean settlement as is its town-planning. With a coast line of 32 kms, well- planned French Boulevard town, palm-fringed beaches, resorts, backwaters, water sports centre, harbour, the world-famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the international city of Auroville - literally means the "City of Dawn", world-renowned Yoga centres are some of the attractions. The other places of interest are Museum, Chunnambar Resort - water sports center, Botanical Garden, Manakula Vinayagar Temple. The town also has an Alliance Francaise and the French Institute.