User:Thelifeofan413/sandbox

India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own system of local governance.^[1] Cities in India are sub-administrative unit defined under state municipal laws, and boundaries are determined by the Ministry of Home Affairs.^[2] Municipal corporations and municipalities form the core of India’s local governance structure, with incorporation criteria varying by state.^[3] In most states, an area must meet minimum thresholds for population, density, and revenue to be granted municipal corporation status. However, several cities retain their classification despite falling below modern thresholds due to historical incorporation prior to the adoption of current municipal laws.^[4]

Following the creation of new urban local bodies in the 2000s and 2010s, India has 264 Class I towns and cities (those with populations of 100,000 or more) in the 2011 Census.^[5] Of these, 46 cities had populations exceeding 1 million, and three were classified as Mega Cities (over 10 million residents).^[2][6][a] Updated population figures will not be officially recorded until the next national census, expected in 2027, due to delays in the 2021 census.^[7]

Cities are a type of sub-administrative unit and are defined by the Ministry of Home Affairs. In some cases, cities are bifurcated into municipalities, which can lead to cities being included within other cities. This list is based on the Census of India using data from the 2001 census of India and the 2011 census of India. The largest city by population within statutory limits in 2011 was Mumbai, with 12.4 million residents.^[8] Cities listed in bold in the table below are capitals of their respective states or union territories, including New Delhi, the national capital of India.

Location of Indian cities. Hover over the dot to see the city name with rank in parentheses.