There are many ways to identify metro cities in India - by population, by area, by economic activities and above all their traditional identity has metro cities.
However the easier bit is to identify the cities where people rush for work. It is imperative to understand that since the later part of British rule in India, some cities emerged as major trading and industrial zones. Some cities have grown from thereon and some lost their charm. Some other cities emerged after the liberalization of the 90s and thereafter.
Traditionally there were four metro cities in India - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. This was followed by the next four comprising of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad. Since the 90s, these cities have grown very disproportionately. They grew at such a brisk pace that things have now gone out of control based on various factors. So much so that we cannot call this growth- development. Even the word growth has a positive connotation to it, lets call them- 'bloated' cities ready to burst.
To make the idea clear, I will take example of the National Capital Region and I am sure it closely matches with many urban super-clusters across India. In the 70s-80s when the idea of NCR was introduced, Delhi and its neighboring village like towns started growing very quickly. In a sense a densely populated Delhi started attracting even more people from other cities. People from all across North India flocked towards the capital, which now is facing a grim situation of over-population, pollution, stress on infrastructure, waste disposal and so much more. This is the case with other metros of India, that were nowhere prepared to handle such an influx of migrant workers.
Having lived in Jaipur for the predominant part of my life, which is the second largest city (in terms of population) in North India after Delhi, I was always amazed to see how my friends there were happy to relocate to other cities and live sub-standard lives, long for going home and pay exorbitant rent since their jobs were in the metros. Taking Jaipur and the IT industry as an example, I still question, that if the city produces so many engineers and tech graduates, why don't companies start their operations there. It is well connected to the rest of India, has modern and not-crumbling infrastructure, there are housing opportunities, can host big corporate events and has the necessary human resource. Why can't we have investments in tier 2 cities in India?
Further to it, considering cities like Surat and Vishakhapatnam, I am still trying to understand that port cities with necessary business acumen and being well connected to the rest of India, are still not having investments and migration in proportion to bigger cities.
As another example the Manchester of East- Kanpur, once an industrial hub is now facing problems of outdated industries, extreme pollution and above all migration of most of its talent to tier 1 cities. What was done to retain the talent, or what was done to match the education to the requirement of local industries is so much questionable?
In a scenario where big cities are choked with people, pollution and above all immense pressure on natural resources, this is an imminent need. To begin with, why can't we have all state capitals emerging strongly as metros? Shouldn't there be a drive from the state governments to invite companies and start business activities. Subsidies, support systems, matching needs with skill development can go a long way to sort this issue. With rise in income the purchasing power will increase, resulting in vibrant local markets and tax incomes.
Currently there are 8 metro cities in India. Imagine a day when we have 30+ metro cities. The immense pressure on the big 8s will surely reduce considerably. They would still have a great head-start, and yet will have the opportunity to repair and rejuvenate.
Cities are still growing and it is assumed that by 2028 more people in India will live in cities compared to villages. However, the question still looms, as which cities are getting this migration influx and are they not getting converted into large slums? If urbanization is to increase, jobs need to be created in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
USA might not be the best example for comparison, however it can be a template. Each state of US has a minimum of 1 city that provides investment opportunities to entrepreneurs and eventually influence the job scene. Some states even have 2 to 4 such cities and they are more affluent than others. Imagine a similar scenario in India, where a young graduate from Patna does not have to go to Bangalore in search of work or a girl from Jammu does not find travel back home from Mumbai taking more time than the actual vacation. With these kids getting jobs in cities like Jammu and Patna, the economy of these cities will change drastically. Markets will open up and ancillary industry will thrive.
Ancillary industry is an interesting concept here. When the Tata Group laid foundation of Jamshedpur, one major industry gave rise to so many ancillary industries. Jamshedpur stands as a great example of it. This is also visible in Jamnagar in Gujarat due to its refinery project. A lot is expected out of the remote town of Barmer in Rajasthan, where a refinery is awaited. Schools, stores, services, blue collar jobs, automobile dealerships, you name it and there will be ancillary business around the main industry.
Decentralized development of Indian cities should be part of an initiative. Private investors should look at starting operations in Tier 2 cities. It will save them a lot of cost and a more satisfied human resource will be available.
However the easier bit is to identify the cities where people rush for work. It is imperative to understand that since the later part of British rule in India, some cities emerged as major trading and industrial zones. Some cities have grown from thereon and some lost their charm. Some other cities emerged after the liberalization of the 90s and thereafter.
Traditionally there were four metro cities in India - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. This was followed by the next four comprising of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad. Since the 90s, these cities have grown very disproportionately. They grew at such a brisk pace that things have now gone out of control based on various factors. So much so that we cannot call this growth- development. Even the word growth has a positive connotation to it, lets call them- 'bloated' cities ready to burst.
To make the idea clear, I will take example of the National Capital Region and I am sure it closely matches with many urban super-clusters across India. In the 70s-80s when the idea of NCR was introduced, Delhi and its neighboring village like towns started growing very quickly. In a sense a densely populated Delhi started attracting even more people from other cities. People from all across North India flocked towards the capital, which now is facing a grim situation of over-population, pollution, stress on infrastructure, waste disposal and so much more. This is the case with other metros of India, that were nowhere prepared to handle such an influx of migrant workers.
Having lived in Jaipur for the predominant part of my life, which is the second largest city (in terms of population) in North India after Delhi, I was always amazed to see how my friends there were happy to relocate to other cities and live sub-standard lives, long for going home and pay exorbitant rent since their jobs were in the metros. Taking Jaipur and the IT industry as an example, I still question, that if the city produces so many engineers and tech graduates, why don't companies start their operations there. It is well connected to the rest of India, has modern and not-crumbling infrastructure, there are housing opportunities, can host big corporate events and has the necessary human resource. Why can't we have investments in tier 2 cities in India?
Further to it, considering cities like Surat and Vishakhapatnam, I am still trying to understand that port cities with necessary business acumen and being well connected to the rest of India, are still not having investments and migration in proportion to bigger cities.
As another example the Manchester of East- Kanpur, once an industrial hub is now facing problems of outdated industries, extreme pollution and above all migration of most of its talent to tier 1 cities. What was done to retain the talent, or what was done to match the education to the requirement of local industries is so much questionable?
In a scenario where big cities are choked with people, pollution and above all immense pressure on natural resources, this is an imminent need. To begin with, why can't we have all state capitals emerging strongly as metros? Shouldn't there be a drive from the state governments to invite companies and start business activities. Subsidies, support systems, matching needs with skill development can go a long way to sort this issue. With rise in income the purchasing power will increase, resulting in vibrant local markets and tax incomes.
Currently there are 8 metro cities in India. Imagine a day when we have 30+ metro cities. The immense pressure on the big 8s will surely reduce considerably. They would still have a great head-start, and yet will have the opportunity to repair and rejuvenate.
Cities are still growing and it is assumed that by 2028 more people in India will live in cities compared to villages. However, the question still looms, as which cities are getting this migration influx and are they not getting converted into large slums? If urbanization is to increase, jobs need to be created in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
USA might not be the best example for comparison, however it can be a template. Each state of US has a minimum of 1 city that provides investment opportunities to entrepreneurs and eventually influence the job scene. Some states even have 2 to 4 such cities and they are more affluent than others. Imagine a similar scenario in India, where a young graduate from Patna does not have to go to Bangalore in search of work or a girl from Jammu does not find travel back home from Mumbai taking more time than the actual vacation. With these kids getting jobs in cities like Jammu and Patna, the economy of these cities will change drastically. Markets will open up and ancillary industry will thrive.
Ancillary industry is an interesting concept here. When the Tata Group laid foundation of Jamshedpur, one major industry gave rise to so many ancillary industries. Jamshedpur stands as a great example of it. This is also visible in Jamnagar in Gujarat due to its refinery project. A lot is expected out of the remote town of Barmer in Rajasthan, where a refinery is awaited. Schools, stores, services, blue collar jobs, automobile dealerships, you name it and there will be ancillary business around the main industry.
Decentralized development of Indian cities should be part of an initiative. Private investors should look at starting operations in Tier 2 cities. It will save them a lot of cost and a more satisfied human resource will be available.
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