Puducherry (), also known as Pondicherry (), is a union territory of India. It was formed out of four territories of former French India, namely Pondichéry (Pondicherry; now Puducherry), Karikal (Karaikal), Mahé and Yanaon (Yanam), excluding Chandannagar. It is named after the largest district, Puducherry. Historically known as Pondicherry (Pāṇṭiccēri), the territory changed its official name to Puducherry on 20 September 2006.The Union Territory of Puducherry lies in the southern part of the Indian Peninsula. The areas of Puducherry district and Karaikal district are bound by the state of Tamil Nadu, while Yanam district and Mahé district are enclosed by the states of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, respectively. Puducherry is the 29th most populous of the states and union territories of India (and the third most densely populated union territory of India). It has a gross domestic product (GDP) of ₹210 billion (US$2.8 billion) and ranks 25th in India.


The earliest recorded history of Puducherry can be traced to the 2nd century CE. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea mentions a marketplace named Poduke (ch. 60), which G. W. Bowerbank believed was located in Puducherry, and also reported that it was a center for pearl fishery along with Kollam and Mangalore; this is confirmed by archaeological studies conducted by Iravatham Mahadevan during 1978–79, which suggest this location as a center for pearl trade from ancient times until around 1500 CE..

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