Best cities to live in India
India has evolved from being known as the land of temples and bullock carts to the outside world. Rapid urbanization has changed the country’s landscape in the post independent era. Better job opportunities, standard of living and infrastructure facilities draw population to live in the cities. Apart from the four metros- Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai – which had been known as urban face of India since the British Raj, new cities have come up as dream destinations for Indians.
A recent survey has been conducted in order to rank Indian cities based on various factors such as mobility and public transportation, cleanliness, clean drinking water, public amenities, urban planning and design, pollution/greenery, crime and safety, bureaucracy, citizen participation, etc. The parameters are categorized into two categories – city systems and quality of life. Let us take a look at the top 10 best cities to live in India.
- Surat: Surat has been ranked as the best city to live in India. Known as the Diamond capital of India, the Gujarat city has been featured as one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Voted as among the three cleanest cities of India in 2011, Surat is a commercial centre. The city is easily accessible from Mumbai and New Delhi and it has direct connectivity through trains and airways with all the parts of India.
- Pune: Pune is ranked as the second best city to live in India. It is the second largest city of Maharashtra after Mumbai. It is regarded as the cultural capital of Maharashtra. It is also home to various manufacturing industries and is fast becoming an IT hub. Excellent educational facilities have been attracting students to Pune from all over the country. Due to its proximity to Mumbai and also due to the pleasant weather, Pune has become one of the top residential destination for Indians.
- Ahmedabad: Gujarat capital has been a story of astounding development of infrastructure and civic amenities. Known as ‘Manchester of the East’ due to its prosperous textile industry, it is the fifth largest city in India. Ahmedabad was preferred for both its city systems (urban planning, citizen participation,etc) and quality of life (greenery/pollution, transportation and mobility, etc). It has been chosen by the leading English daily as the best city in India recently. Ahmedabad is leading way ahead of other Indian cities in terms of urban planning.
- Mumbai: The financial capital of India is at the fourth spot, ahead of other metros. Mumbai is the fourth most populous city on earth and has the highest GDP in central, west and south Asia. Opportunities and better standard of living draw citizens from all corners of the country to Mumbai. Public transportation is dependent on suburban railway trains known as locals, which connects people from surrounding cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane to the island. Mumbai Metro and monorail are under construction. New airport has been proposed in Navi Mumbai to enhance the connectivity further.
- Chennai: The biggest city in South India takes up the fifth place in the list. Chennai boasts of good infrastructure and development is expanding fast into the Chennai suburbs. Declared as the most livable city in India by Institute of Competitiveness, Chennai is called the ‘cultural capital of South India’. It has been an educational, economic and commercial hub in southern part of the country. Many industries like hardware, manufacturing, IT and healthcare services have a strong base of here. The economy is also boosted by the fact that Chennai is the hub of automobile industry in India.
- Kolkata: Kolkata, the city that was the capital during British Raj, is the third largest urban agglomeration in India. It is the third most populated city in India. Although the city suffers from urban problems like over population, poverty and traffic congestion; it is also the city attracting influx from all over the country. The cost of living is considerably lower than other metros and educational, economic and job opportunities draw the population to Kolkata city.
- Jaipur: Jaipur in Rajasthan is ranked seventh in the list. Known as the Pink City, Jaipur is one of the biggest exporter of diamond, gold and stone jewellery in Asia. The city is a mix of traditional as well as modern industries and is a well known tourist attraction, too. It is also been ranked among top 50 emerging global outsourcing cities in the world.
- Hyderabad: Hyderabad, touted as the first hi-tech city of India, lies on the 8th place. The IT/ITeS Special economic zone in the city has attracted global companies to Hyderabad. It is also home to India’s pharmaceutical and bio technology industry. The city scored high in urban planning and saw considerable preference for quality of life – greenery, clean water, traffic, transportation, etc. Although the recent political turmoil over Telengana issue casts a shadow over the city’s real estate, investors still prefer the city for the job opportunities and growth potential.
- Bangalore: Known as the ‘Garden City’ of India, Bangalore finds itself on 9th spot in the list. The city is hub of India’s IT/ITeS sector. Influx rate is constantly going higher due to increasing job opportunities. Standard of living is high and the city accommodates a mixture of population from all over India. Young professionals flock to the city in a high number and the pleasant weather and public transport convenience acts as favourable factors. Bangalore has also been voted among the top 10 global entrepreneurial cities.
- New Delhi: The capital of India is a centre for economic, political, commercial, finance and research activities. Public transportation got a big boost after the metro came up and urban planning in New Delhi seems to be on the right path. Many satellite cities in the National Capital Region offer bright job and business opportunities, making New Delhi the centre for all the activity. Delhi has excellent connectivity with adjoining Noida, Gurgaon, Greater Noida, etc.
