Old name for Chennai (6)
I believe the answer is:
madras
'old name for chennai' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for madras that I've seen before include "Cotton fabric; hot curry" , "place in Tamil Nadu" , "Hot type of curry" , "Tamil Nadu capital; a hottish curry" , "Old name for city now known as Chennai" .)