Puducherry

Capital

Puducherry

Official Language

Tamil, English; Telugu, Malayalam

Area

490 km²

Districts

2

Largest City

Ozhukarai

Geography & Nature

Four geographically separated coastal regions—Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam—lie alongside Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

• Reported area: 490 km². Survey of India — Administrative Boundary Data.
• Forest and tree cover: 73.20 km²; India State of Forest Report 2023, Forest Survey of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India | Assessment year: 2023.

Districts & Cities

Two revenue districts, Puducherry and Karaikal, cover four separated regions; Mahe and Yanam are administrative units of Puducherry district.

• Major urban centres: Puducherry, Ozhukarai, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam.
• Largest city/town: Ozhukarai. Ozhukarai (Oulgaret) is the largest municipality by Census 2011 population and forms part of the wider Puducherry urban area.
• Regions: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.

Territory Administration

Puducherry is administered through a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the President. It also has an elected Legislative Assembly and a government led by a Chief Minister.

• Administrative capital: Puducherry.
• Principal official language(s): Tamil, English; Telugu, Malayalam. Tamil and English are used across the administration; Telugu is used in Yanam and Malayalam in Mahe. French is part of the territory's historical and cultural language heritage.

Government Institutions

Government institutions in Puducherry include executive departments, district administration, public agencies and local bodies. The official directory provides routes to their published websites.

• The Legislative Assembly provides the elected legislative institution.
• District administrations and municipal or village institutions provide local public services.

People & Demographics

The official MoEFCC profile reports approximately 0.12 crore people on a Census 2011 basis. This is a historical, rounded population figure rather than a current population estimate.

• Principal official language(s): Tamil, English; Telugu, Malayalam.
• Tamil and English are used across the administration; Telugu is used in Yanam and Malayalam in Mahe. French is part of the territory's historical and cultural language heritage.
• Census tables provide the detailed rural/urban, literacy, age and mother-tongue breakdowns.

Economy & Industries

Tourism, manufacturing, fisheries, agriculture, education and other services support the different regional economies.

• Economic centres include Puducherry, Ozhukarai, Karaikal.
• Use the government's economic surveys and departmental publications for dated output, employment and investment figures.

Infrastructure

Road links, railway connections in Puducherry and Karaikal, airport facilities and coastal utility networks serve separated enclaves.

• Transport, electricity, water and digital networks support public services and economic activity.
• Project status and operational details are published by the responsible government departments and operators.

Education & Healthcare

Pondicherry University and public colleges provide higher education; JIPMER is a major medical education, research and healthcare institution.

• Schools, universities, government hospitals and primary care facilities serve different parts of the region.
• Check the relevant institution or department for current programmes, admissions and services.

Culture & History

French-period streetscapes, Tamil traditions, Sri Aurobindo's legacy and distinct Mahe and Yanam cultures reflect the territory's history.

• Heritage sites, languages, crafts and community traditions vary across districts.
• The official tourism and culture portal provides place-specific information.

Schemes & Public Services

The Puducherry government and citizen-service portal provide access to applications, certificates, departmental services and scheme information.

• Common service areas include revenue certificates, welfare applications, education, transport and local-government services; availability varies by portal.
• Open the official service listing for the current application process and requirements.