India Leads Global Urban Growth With 55 Cities In Top 100: Oxford Economics

New Delhi, Sep 16 (KNN) As many as 55 Indian cities feature among the world’s top 100 urban growth leaders in Oxford Economics’ 2026 Global Cities Index, highlighting the broad-based expansion of India’s urban economies.

Twenty-three Indian cities also ranked among the global top 50 for growth, with strong GDP trajectories, expanding labour pools, corporate networks and university ecosystems driving the performance.

“No other country comes close to India on the sheer breadth of urban growth captured in this year’s Index,” said Elizabeth Martindale, Senior Economist, City Services, Oxford Economics. 

She said the trend extended beyond major metropolitan centres, with smaller Indian cities also showing strong growth prospects, reported Businessline.

Delhi Leads India, Ranks 268th Globally

Delhi was India’s highest-ranked city overall at 268th globally, improving five places from the previous year. Its strongest performance came in the Human Capital category, where it ranked 13th globally, ahead of Toronto, Seoul and Beijing.

Delhi is currently the world’s 63rd-largest city economy. Oxford Economics projects that it could become the 14th-largest by 2050, with economic output exceeding USD 2 trillion.

Liam Sides, Director in Oxford Economics’ Cities and Regions unit and lead author of the report, said Delhi has the talent pipeline and corporate depth associated with a top-20 global city, but poor air quality and income inequality remain constraints.

Bengaluru Among Global Cities To Watch

Bengaluru climbed 20 places to 311th globally and was named a ‘City to Watch’, recording the biggest improvement among India’s six largest metropolitan cities.

The technology hub is also among the 10 fastest-growing cities globally by forecast GDP growth, with real output projected to expand at an average annual rate of 9.2 per cent between 2026 and 2030.

Martindale said Bengaluru’s large pool of young, skilled graduates and growing role as a technology research and development hub could support higher wages and sustained economic growth.

Mumbai Leads In Corporate Headquarters

Mumbai ranked 330th globally and was India’s highest-ranked city for corporate headquarters, placing 23rd worldwide in the category.

Its economy is projected to rise from the 99th-largest city economy globally currently to the 36th-largest by 2050.

Chennai ranked 381st, Hyderabad 421st and Pune 427th globally. Chennai and Hyderabad ranked 16th and 15th worldwide, respectively, for forecast GDP growth.

Smaller Cities Add To Growth Momentum

The growth is also spreading beyond India’s established metropolitan centres.

Amravati ranked seventh globally for growth, while Surat and Tiruchirappalli ranked 11th and 13th, respectively. Ranchi climbed 74 places, Prayagraj 70, Lucknow 58 and Visakhapatnam 54 places.

The gains point to a broader urban growth trend extending beyond India’s traditional economic hubs.

Quality Of Life Remains A Challenge

Despite strong economic performance, Oxford Economics identified quality of life as a major weakness for Indian cities. The median Indian city ranked 850th out of 1,000 cities in the Quality of Life category. Delhi recorded the second-worst air quality score in the index.

Martindale said air quality, income inequality and educational attainment continue to distinguish Indian cities from their Asian peers.

The findings highlight the challenge of translating rapid economic expansion into improved living conditions and more equitable urban development.

(KNN Bureau)