Ernakulam (Malayalam: [erɐɳɐːkuɭɐm] ⓘ) is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India.

[1] Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation and the Cochin Shipyard are situated in Ernakulam.

The Southern Naval Command (SNC) is in Kochi, Ernakulam district, Kerala.

[3] The early political history of Ernakulam is interlinked with that of the Chera Dynasty of the Sangam age, who ruled over vast portions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

[4] Although under British suzerainty (specifically the East India Company) since the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814,[5] Rama Varma XII of the Kingdom of Cochin moved his capital from Mattancherry to Tripunithura in about 1840.

[6] In the first state census of 1911, the population of Ernakulam was 21,901; 11,197 Hindus, 9,357 Christians, 935 Muslims, and 412 Jews.

Winter from December through February is slightly cooler, and windy, due to winds from the Western Ghats.

[12] Ernakulam, aka the CBD (Central Business District) of Kochi, has seen high urbanisation in the past few decades, thus turning it into an economic hub of the city.

The first traces of this transformation were seen after the MG Road connecting Ravipuram and Kacherippady was opened in 1972.

Marine Drive and MG Road thus became the backbone of Kochi's economic activities, and acted as the base for the city to expand in all directions thereafter.

[13] The state-owned Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) runs inter-state, inter-district and city services, mostly from the Ernakulam KSRTC bus stand which is the busiest bus stand in Kochi after the Vytilla Mobility Hub.

Ferry services connect with Willingdon Island, Mattancherry, Fort Kochi and Mulavukadu, at intervals of 20 minutes.

of Kerala Department) offers cheap ferry service on the following routes: Major Malayalam newspapers published in Ernakulam include Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Janmabhoomi, Madhyamam, Deshabhimani, Deepika, Kerala Kaumudi, Thejas, Metro Vartha, Siraj Daily, Varthamanam, Janayugam, Kochi Vartha and Veekshanam.

Popular English newspapers include Deccan Chronicle, The Times of India, The Hindu, and The New Indian Express.

Being the seat of the Cochin Stock Exchange, a number of financial publications are also published in the city.