Coimbatore (Tamil: கோயம்புத்தூர், pronounced [kɔəjmbaːʈɔrɪ]), also known as Kovai (Tamil: , pronounced [kɔʋaːəj] ), is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the 15th largest urban agglomeration in India with a metropolitan population of over 2 million. It is a major commercial centre and has often been referred to as the "Manchester of South India".