Mapping Metropolises in India

This paper attempts to examine a specific parameter of Indian urbanisation with focus on metropolises across India. By adopting metropolises as per Census 2011 an attempt is made to trace their origin or roots in different periods in Indian history, examine their locational pattern vis-à-vis a number of features and highlight the trend in their growth pattern, in the post-liberal period. Secondary data obtained from Census of India has been processed, classified, analysed, tabulated and mapped. 21st century has ushered in a major phase of urbanisation in India, increasing faster than expected as increase in urban population has outpaced rural for the first time since independence. The urban areas in the country have added 91 million persons in the last decade in which 27.6 million persons that is 30.4 percent have been added by existing metropolitan cities. India at a comparatively low level of urbanisation contains a fairly large proportion of population in its metropolitan cities. These alone account for 42.3 percent of the urban population in 2011 in comparison to 18.8 percent in 1951. Ongoing increase in the number of metropolises, that is, cities whose population exceeds one million inhabitants is tremendous; increasing ten folds from 5 in 1951 to 52 in 2011. Metropolitinisation in the post-liberal period is both an economic and administrative process. The present growth pattern and spread of metropolitan cities is related to their administrative eminence, emergence as transport nodes and re-classification. The traditional colonial set up of Indian urbanisation is being reversed. However, the demographic decline of the mega cities or some metropolises does not mean their economic decline. The level of urbanisation shows a strong positive correlation (r=0.76) with per capita income and population contained in metropolises (r=0.60).

Keywords: Metropolis, Statutory town, Census town, India

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