According to the Confederation of Indian Industry, Thoothukudi has the second highest Human Development Index in Tamil Nadu, next to Chennai.

It is a commercial seaport that serves the inland cities of southern India and is one of the sea gateways of Tamil Nadu.

The city is believed to be of significant antiquity and has been ruled, at different times, by the Early Pandyas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Ma'bar Sultanate, Tirunelveli Sultanate, Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayaks, Chanda Sahib, Carnatic kingdom, Portuguese, Dutch, and the British.

The 21 islands between Thoothukudi and Rameswaram shores in the Gulf of Mannar are noted as the first Marine Biosphere Reserve of India and have around 36,000 species of flora and fauna.

[8] The ancient town of Korkai, near present-day Thoothukudi, has been a center for maritime trade and pearl fishing for more than 2000 years.

Ptolemy's geography refers to Korkai as a center of pearl fishing while describing commercial relations between western India and Alexandria, the chief eastern emporium of the Roman Empire.

[13] Rao Bahadur Cruz Fernandez and J. L. P. Roche Victoria as the chairmen of municipal corporation made significant contributions, laying the foundations for a modern Thoothukudi.

The bay formed by Hare Island, Devils Point, and the main land gives ample protection to the lighters from monsoonal weather.

The beach of Thoothukudi is characterized by a calm breeze and very low waves, giving the image of a big river.

Being in a coastal region, the soil is mostly clay and sandy, and the water table varies between 1 and 4 m (3.3 and 13.1 ft) below ground level.

[23] The 21 islands between Thoothukudi and Rameswaram shores in the Gulf of Mannar are notified as the first Marine Biosphere Reserve of India.

About 36,000 species of flora and fauna exist in the region, which is covered with mangroves, sandy shores, and sea grass beds that are conducive to turtle nesting.

[44] - Salt manufacturer, P. S. S. Krishnamurthi Exports Private Limited, Madura Coats Private Limited, DCW Limited, Kilburn Chemicals Ltd,[45][46] Nila Sea foods, Diamond Sea foods[47][48] Maris Associates, VVD Coconut oil mill, AVM oil mill, Ramesh flowers, Agsar Paints and KSPS Salts are some of the small scale and large scale industries in the city.

During the union budget of 2014–2015, the Central government sanctioned an 11,500 crore Outer Harbour Development Program for Thoothukudi port which is expected to give a push to the export-import sector in southern Tamil Nadu.

As a port city, almost all major logistics companies (such as St John Freight Systems[54]) have set up office in Thoothukudi.

The State Government recently formed a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for Speedy implementation of the Project.

The upcoming new railway line from Madurai to Thoothukudi via Aruppukotai, Ettayapuram would serve as the backbone for the development of this corridor.

[63] Thoothukudi has All India Radio Station which Carries AIR External Services for South Asia in English, Sinhala and Tamil (1053 kHz).

[65] The city has Tharuvai Multi Purpose Stadium which is maintained by Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.

The church attracts lot of visitors around the country and is one of catholic pilgrimage centers in India dedicated to Virgin Mary.

Thoothukudi has an extensive transport network and is well-connected to other major cities by road, rail, air and sea.

[72] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation operates daily services connecting various cities to Thoothukudi.

It is one of few stations in Southern Tamil Nadu to have Pitline facility for Cleaning and Maintenance of Rail Coaches facilitating the operation of Long distance Trains from Thoothukudi.

Pearl City Express which connects Thoothukudi with Chennai Egmore Station is one of the Prestigious Trains of Southern Railway.

An 8 Coach Link Train to Guruvayur Express has been introduced recently which connects Thoothukudi with Chennai during daytime.

[84] The functions of the corporation are devolved into six departments: general administration and personnel, engineering, revenue, public health, city planning, and information technology (IT).

[101] Thoothukudi is one of the few cities in India where BSNL's Caller Line Identification (CLI) based internet service Netone is available.

[103][104] The city has a lot of red industries as a result of which the PM10 — tiny airborne particles seven times finer than human hair–exceeds national standards (60 micrograms per cubic metre, or μg/m3) by around 200 per cent.

Environmentalists blame public and private coal-fired thermal power plants, copper smelter and chemical industries for polluting the air quality of Thoothukudi.

Respondents of the study had various health issues like skin diseases, eye irritation, asthma, allergy, respiratory problems, cancer and hypertension.