Delhi to Malé, Maldives?
 

I am looking for the most efficient way of getting from DEL to MLE, and then from MLE to Chennai and so far the best I have found is a double connection via Bangalore and Colombo.

Doesn't seem right to me. Does anyone have any experience on doing this more efficiently?

Depending on the day of the week, you can usually fly Delhi - Male most efficiently on SriLankan with a single connection via Columbo. The flights are nicely timed to give you only 60 minutes on ground.

You can also fly the weekly Monday morning service on Air Seychelles from Mumbai to Male. There are plenty of Delhi - Mumbai connecting flights available around the clock.

For Male to Chennai, your best option would be the daily lunchtime Indian Airlines A320 service from Male to Thiruvanthapuram, with a convenient connection to Chennai on the same airline. You can also do the route via Colombo again on SriLankan.

Thank you!