A Framework for Urban India

Four Urban Indias: The Tier Framework

Not all Indian cities grow the same way. This framework groups them into four tiers by size, pace and financial character.

Big Six
Delhi · Mumbai · Kolkata · Bengaluru · Chennai · Hyderabad — over 10 million people each.
Boomtowns
19 cities between 2.5 and 10 million — Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow and others.
Breakout
25 cities between 1.5 and 2.5 million — Nashik, Vijayawada, Ludhiana, Mysuru and more.
Frontier
50 smaller cities from 500,000 to 1.5 million — the fastest-growing and most financially stressed.