Pallikaranai is a neighborhood and a residential area in south Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Located in proximity to the IT industry in Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai's central business districts and the automobile hub in GST road has attracted more population to Pallikaranai in the 2000s. Pallikaranai became a part of the Chennai Corporation in July 2011.

Pallikaranai place surrounded by various natural lands, water resources, ponds, lakes and different varieties of birds.

According to a 2012 report by global property consultant Knight Frank, the neighborhood has emerged as India's 11th largest destination for investment in the residential real estate, in the list of 13-top residential destinations in the country from an investment point of view, where housing prices are expected to increase by 93 percent over the period 2012–2017.

As of 2001^[update] India census, Pallikaranai had a population of 22,503. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Pallikaranai has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 67%. In Pallikaranai, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. Pallikaranai area contains several water bodies and many lakes and is also the home for the reputed National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), which is the real technical arm under Govt of India. This institute has developed In-house Desalination Plant at Kavaratti under Mr Robert Singh and Dr Kathiroli. There are also many temples, parks and schools. In July 2011, Pallikaranai was joined with the Corporation of Chennai. A central grant for sewage system construction in Pallikaranai is awarded to State Government of Tamil Nadu under JnNURM scheme for which the tender and construction is expected to complete by February 2013. The effectiveness of the new sewage scheme is still in question due to the substandard contract approvals and usage of low quality construction materials. Most of the streets report damages to the underground laid sewage clay pipes and soil sinking. Way back from the start of project in 2009, most of the street roads in Pallikaranai are damaged for laying sewage pipes and then left untarred causing inconvenience for transportation.

Pallikaranai is surrounded by Madipakkam in the northwest, Velachery in the north, Perungudi in the northeast, Kovilambakkam in the west, Thuraipakkam in the east, Nanmangalam in southwest, Medavakkam in the south and Karapakkam in the southeast on ECR. It is part of Chennai from year 2012 which has 3 wards, 189,190 and 191 under zone 14.

Ward 189 has Sree Balaji Dental college and Jerusalem Engineering College. ward 191 has Asan memorial college, St. Johns Memorial college, Bethotal School, Holley Bells in Saiganesh Nagar.

The Chennai monorail, which is in planning stage is likely to have a station in Pallikaranai in the Velachery-Vandalur route

Pallikaranai wetland is a fresh water swamp adjacent to the Bay of Bengal situated in south Chennai with a geographical area of 80 km². In 2007, a major portion of the Pallikaranai marshland was declared a reserve forest area and brought under the Tambaram range of the Forest department. The swamp is helpful in charging the aquifers of the region. It is one of the last few remaining natural ecosystems in the city of Chennai. Pallikaranai is a vast, marshy area bounded by