Established in 2005 by the Chennai-based Chettinad business conglomerate, CARE attained university status within three years. It retains its initial focus on medicine and allied disciplines.
Much of the activity across its eight schools is focused on the 1,180-bed Chettinad General Hospital, one of the best hospitals in the south Indian city of Chennai.
CARE aims to offer "transformative education” and to “enable individuals to become responsible, empathetic global citizens who contribute towards a sustainable future".
It operates from a 100-acre campus on the Old Mahabalipuram Road in Chennai’s IT corridor, around 20 miles from the city centre. Its campus prioritises sustainability, and has implemented water recycling and other conservation techniques. Transport is on battery operated karts and e-scooters. There is also a Rural Health Centre at Poonjeri and Urban Centres at Karapakkam and Mandaveli.
The schools of law and physiotherapy were established in 2019, and there is a new department of occupational therapy.
CARE has grown steadily, from 155 graduates in 2012 to a total roll of around 2,500 in 2023 – including a significant proportion who are first-generation students from rural and semi-urban districts.
