India is the 7th largest country across the world by area and second-highest by population with more than 1.2 billion inhabitants. The country is the most populous democracy in the world. There are 4000 cities in India among which 40 cities have millions of people, 37 cities with people between 1 lakh and 1 million and 2500 cities with a population between 10 thousand and 1 lakh. Most of the cities comprise 43% of the country’s urban population. Mumbai and Delhi are the most populous cities with a population that exceeds 10 million. However, there are states in India that have less populous cities and Uttarakhand is one among them that contains only 0.83% of India’s total population. While cities in India continue to develop and expand, 67% of the population still lives in rural areas. Around 33% of the population lives in larger cites. India being a developing country, the numbers are expected to decline in the future.
Here are given the list of top 15 cities in India by population.
Table of Contents
1. Mumbai
Mumbai is the capital city of Maharashtra and as per the Indian government population census, the most populous city in India with an estimated 12.5 million inhabitants living in various parts of the city. Mumbai is the 6th most populous city in the world with a population of more than 23.64 million. Mumbai is also the wealthiest city with a high number of millionaires and billionaires. The city lies on the Konkan coast on the west coast of India. Mumbai is the financial capital of India and the city attracts more migrants from various parts of India.
2. Delhi
Delhi is the city and the Union territory of India. New Delhi, the capital of India is bordered by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The city Delhi has a population of more than 16.8 million making the world the second-largest urban area, as per United Nations. Delhi is the second wealthiest city after Mumbai with 18 billionaires and 23,000 millionaires and ranks 5th among the Indian states in the human development index. Delhi has served as the capital for various kingdoms and empire the city has been rebuilt several times during the medieval period.
3. Bangalore
Bangalore officially known as Bengaluru is the capital state of Karnataka and it has a population of more than 10 million. Bangalore is the third most populous city located in Southern India at 3000 ft above sea level. Bangalore is also known as the “Silicone Valley of India” because the city plays a major role as a leading IT exporter. Bengaluru is the second-fastest-growing metropolitan city in India and it has the most highly educated workforce in the world. Mysore sandal soap is produced in the city and Bengaluru is the home for many education and research institutes of our nation.
4. Hyderabad
Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The city is located in the northern part of South India at an average altitude of 542 meters. The city which is located on hilly terrain surrounded by artificial lakes has a population of more than 6.9 million making the 4th most populous city in India. Hyderabad is the 5th largest contributor to India’s overall gross domestic product. Charminar symbolizes the city and various cuisines make the city popular. Hyderabad known as the City of Pearls is the only diamond trading center in the world.
5. Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad is the 5th largest city and former capital of state Gujarat. Being the fifth most populous city of India, Ahmedabad has a population of about 5.57 million people. Sabarmati River is just 23 km from Gandhinagar. They are the second-largest cotton producers in India also; the city’s economy has been energized due to commerce, communication, and construction. Ahmedabad is one of the best and safest cities to live in. People in the city love cricket a lot and they have 110,000 seated Sardar Patel Stadium to enjoy the sport.
6. Chennai
Chennai the capital of Tamil Nadu is located on the coast of Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the 6th most populous city with 4.64 million people and the most visited city by foreign tourists. The city is nicknamed ‘The Detroit of India’ and more than one-third of the automobile industry is situated there. The smart city remains hot and humid and worth visiting for its traditional values. The city is famous for the Tamil film industry and delicious south Indian cuisines.
7. Kolkata
Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal and the seventh most populous city of India with 4.5 million populations. The city is the main educational and cultural hub of East India and the third most-productive metropolitan area of India. Kolkata situated on the east bank of Hooghly River is nicknamed as “The city of Joy’. The suburb population includes 14.1 million makings 3rd most populous metropolitan area in India. The city earlier used to be the center for the Indian Independence movement and during British Raj, the city served as the capital of British held territories in India.
8. Surat
Surat is a popular city in Gujarat which is used to be a large seaport and now a commercial center in South Gujarat. The city is well-known for the diamond and textile industry and remains a hub for apparel and accessories. Surat is the 8th largest city with 4.46 million populations. The city located on Tapti River is the world’s 4th fastest growing city. Surat was awarded as the best city in India and it ranks 4th cleanest city of India. The city has 2.97 million internet users and selected as one of the twenty Indian cities to be developed as a smart city.
9. Pune
Pune is the second-largest city in Maharashtra Mumbai and the 9th most populous city in the country with an estimated population of 6.4 million. The city is surrounded by the Mutha River also remains the cultural capital of Maharashtra. The city is a major education as well as the IT hub and the number of international students studying in Pune is high. The city is also a hub for management and civil service training. Several colleges offer exchange programs to students with college in Europe.
10. Jaipur
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan and the 10th most populous city has inhabitants around 3.04 million. Jaipur known as Pink City is a popular tourist spot due to the vibrant color scheme of its buildings. Jaipur is one of the earliest planned cities of modern India designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. Jaipur remains a popular tourist destination and it serves as a gateway for other well-known cities in Rajasthan. The city remains home for two UNESCO world heritage sites and remains a part of the Golden Triangle tourist circuit.
11. Vishakhapatnam
Vishakhapatnam also is known as Vizag is a popular city of Andhra Pradesh. The city is the state headquarters of the Indian Coast Guard. The 11th most populous city holds a population of around 2,035 922. The city is one of the largest contributors to the overall gross domestic product. Vizag has the oldest shipyard and it is the only natural harbor of the east coast India. The city is well-liked for its beaches and it was the third cleanest city in India.
12. Kanpur
Kanpur is a city in Uttar Pradesh famous for leather and textile industries. The 12th most populous city has inhabitants of around 5 million. The city is located on the west bank of the Ganges River and it is the major trade center of Northern India. Kanpur had the first woolen mill in India and the city was the most polluted place in India. The city has been nicknamed as “Manchester of India” and it is considered as the birthplace of Indian Communism.
13. Nagpur
Nagpur is located in Maharashtra and the 13th largest city in India has 2.40 million populations. The growing city is a major commercial and political center of Maharashtra. Nagpur was awarded as the best city for its livability, greenery, public transport, and health care facilities. The city was the 20th cleanest city in India and was awarded the best city for innovation.
14. Lucknow
Lucknow the capital city of Uttar Pradesh is the 14th most populous city with a population of around 2.81 million people. Lucknow has always been a multicultural city continues to be a prominent center for education, finance, technology, design, tourism and much more. The city attracts tourism along with Agra and Varanasi.
15. Thane
Thane is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra with a population of around 1890,000. Thane is known as the city of lakes as the city is surrounded by 35 lakes. Located at the northwestern side of Maharashtra, the neighboring city of Thane is Mumbai. Thane had the first-ever passenger train in Asia and the city is well connected by metro line.