[5][6] In early Indian literature, the term referred to a wealthy class of merchants associated with the Vysya varna.
[7] The Chettiar title has been associated with a diverse range of communities, including merchant groups, agriculturalists, and artisans.
Chettiar's are identified with the Vysya (merchant) varna due to their economic prominence and community efforts to elevate social status.
[12][13] The Nattukottai Chettiars established a sophisticated banking system, introducing financial instruments like the hundi (promissory note) and developing credit networks that extended from colonial India to Burma (Myanmar), Malaysia, and Singapore.
In addition to their achievements in commerce, several Chettiar subgroups were engaged in agriculture and textile production.