Advertisement
India's eight largest cities have almost doubled their urban built-up areas over the past thirty years, reflecting a significant urban transformation. According to a recent report by Square Yards, these cities have added over 2,100 square km of urban structures since the mid-1990s. Pune recorded the fastest growth, while Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Bengaluru also saw substantial expansion. The report emphasizes that this growth is driven by population migration to urban centres, creating strong demand for new housing, infrastructure, and urban services, and reshaping how people live and work.
Rapid urbanisation in India's major cities has led to nearly doubling their built-up areas in the past three decades, reaching a combined total of 4,308 square km, according to real estate consultancy Square Yards. Their report, 'Cities in Motion - Tracing 30 Years of Urban Expansion in Key Indian Cities', revealed that 2,136 square km of urban land was added since 1995. Advertisement
The study analysed Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR (including Delhi, Gurugram, Noida & Greater Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad), Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and Pune. Square Yards defined urban built-up footprint as land covered by human-made structures, which reflects the visible spatial extent of urbanisation and separates developed land from open or natural areas.
Tanuj Shori, CEO and Founder of Square Yards, noted that India is undergoing one of the largest urban transformations in its history. He stated that cities globally contribute more than 80 per cent of GDP, and India's growth is closely tied to the development of its urban centres. Shori added that by 2050, India is expected to add more than 330 million people to its urban population, requiring nearly 100 million new homes and major investments in infrastructure, transit, and urban services. He also observed that major cities are already adapting with dense cores, high-rise buildings, and growing business districts, which are changing how people live and work.
Among the eight cities, Pune recorded the fastest growth, increasing its built-up area from 86 sq km in 1995 to 373 sq km. Delhi-NCR's footprint rose from 567 sq km to 967 sq km. Hyderabad saw a 95 per cent growth, from 267 sq km to 519 sq km, while Kolkata's urban area expanded by 87 per cent, reaching 611 sq km from 328 sq km. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region grew by 43 per cent, increasing from 412 sq km to 588 sq km. Chennai's built-up area nearly doubled from 197 sq km to 467 sq km, Bengaluru's increased from 174 sq km to 489 sq km, and Ahmedabad expanded from 141 sq km to 285 sq km.
Source PTI
5th Jun, 2025
25th May, 2023
11th May, 2023
27th Apr, 2023
Advertisement
Facebook
Whatsapp
