In a country like India which is so large in area as well as population, big cities are the driving force. These big cities not only help India move forward but also portray the global image of the country. In this article, we will discuss the top 10 largest cities in India. The ranking is based on the area covered by the municipal corporations of the cities.
Top 10 largest cities in India
- Delhi
- Bengaluru
- Visakhapatnam
- Hyderabad
- Lucknow
- Indore
- Pune
- Ahmedabad
- Jaipur
- Bhopal
1. Delhi
Delhi is the largest city in India. It is administered by three different municipal corporations – Municipal Corporation of Delhi (covers 1397.3 square kilometres), New Delhi Municipal Council (covers 43 square kilometres), and Delhi Cantonment Board (covers 44 square kilometres).
The total area of the city is around 1,500 square kilometres and it has a population of 1.1 crore (11 million).
2. Bengaluru
The “Silicon Valley of India” Bengaluru is the second-largest city in India. The Municipal Corporation of Bengaluru (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) covers an area of nearly 750 square kilometres.
Also known as the “Garden city of India”, Bengaluru enjoys a mild climate for most part of the year.
3. Visakhapatnam
The port city of Visakhapatnam is the third-largest city in India. The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation administers an area of 681.96 sq km. Having a population of around 17 lakhs (1.7 million), the city has a rich history. Vizag is the biggest city in Andhra Pradesh and one of the cleanest cities in India.
4. Hyderabad
Coming at number four on this list is the capital of the newly formed Telangana state. The municipal corporation of Hyderabad known as Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation covers an area of around 650 sq km. Hyderabad is one of the most populous cities in India with more than 68 lakh population.
Hyderabad has one of the fastest-growing IT industries in the country.
5. Lucknow
As one of the largest cities in India, Lucknow acts as an employment hub in the Awadh region. Lucknow Nagar Nigam administers around 631 sq km area and a huge population of over 35 lakhs.
In December 2019, 88 villages around Lucknow were added under Lucknow Nagar Nigam increasing the city limit from 402.65 sq km to 631 sq km.
6. Indore
The cleanest city in India comes at number 6 on this list. The Indore Municipal Corporation covers 530 square kilometres of area.
The city of Indore won the cleanest city award for the sixth straight year in 2022.
7. Pune
The area under the Pune Municipal Corporation recently increased to 516.2 square kilometres making Pune the largest city in Maharashtra and the seventh largest city in India by area.
8. Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad is the largest city in Gujarat and the eighth-largest city in India. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation covers an area of 505 square kilometres. Ahmedabad was the capital of Gujarat till the year 1970. Now, the planned city Gandhinagar serves as the legislative capital. However, the Gujarat High Court is still in Ahmedabad.
Located along the banks of the Sabarmati River, Ahmedabad is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. The city population was around 56 lakhs (5.6 million) as per the 2011 survey. However, it is expected to be much more now.
9. Jaipur
India’s pink city comes at number nine on the list of the top 10 largest cities in India. The city spans an area of 467 square kilometres. The capital of Rajasthan is a major tourist destination. It is part of India’s foremost tourist circuit, the Golden Triangle (Agra, Delhi, Jaipur). The city is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
10. Bhopal
Another state capital on this list, Bhopal is the tenth-largest city in India. The city is spread over an area of 463 square kilometres.
Bhopal is also known as the “city of lakes” as there are many beautiful lakes within the city limits.
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