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Dun & Bradstreet's City Vitality Index (CVI) for Q4 2025 highlights a changing pattern in India's urban economy, with smaller cities gaining strength alongside established metros. Bengaluru maintained its top position among metropolitan cities, while Ahmedabad and Pune followed. Among emerging cities, Ahmednagar rose to the top, supported by its agro-industrial base, dairy cooperatives, and sugarcane farming. Uttar Pradesh showed strong regional performance with several cities in the top 25. The index, based on satellite-based Earth Observation data, closely aligns with nominal GDP, reflecting India's expanding and diversifying urban growth.
Dun & Bradstreet, a global provider of business data and analytics, has released the City Vitality Index (CVI) for the fourth quarter of 2025. The report offers a detailed view of India's urban economy using satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) data, which tracks real-time activity across more than 700 districts. The findings provide insights into both large metropolitan centres and smaller emerging cities that are contributing to India's overall economic performance. Advertisement
Dr Arun Singh, Global Chief Economist at Dun & Bradstreet, stated that India's urban momentum is now more decentralised. He explained that Ahmednagar's rise to the top among emerging cities reflects the growing role of smaller centres, supported by strong agro-industrial performance and cooperative development, while Bengaluru's continued lead among metros shows the sustained importance of established economic hubs.
Among metropolitan (Class-X) cities, Bengaluru maintained its first position, reaffirming its role as India's leading technology and innovation centre. Ahmedabad followed in second place, driven by steady manufacturing activity and growth in its Special Economic Zones. Pune ranked third, continuing its growth trajectory despite dropping one position. Hyderabad advanced two spots to fifth place due to robust performance in information technology and the pharmaceutical industry.
In the emerging (Class-Y) category, Ahmednagar from Maharashtra rose four places to secure the top position. The city's economy benefited from sugarcane cultivation, dairy cooperatives, and agro-processing units. Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh retained the second position, supported by cultural tourism and ongoing infrastructure improvements. North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, Thane in Maharashtra, and Kachchh in Gujarat completed the top five. Kachchh's growth was supported by port-based development, trade, and mineral exports.
Other notable performers included Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, which climbed 40 places to 14th due to agricultural expansion, and Kushinagar, which jumped 62 places, showing significant progress in tourism and infrastructure development.
At the state level, Uttar Pradesh demonstrated broad-based growth, with multiple cities ranking among the top 25, showing the results of continued regional development efforts. Maharashtra and West Bengal also remained well represented, with Thane, Nashik, and South 24 Parganas maintaining strong rankings across economic indicators.
The CVI also emphasises the strong relationship between the index and India's overall economic output. According to Dun & Bradstreet, the index shows an 84 percent correlation with nominal GDP at the national level and nearly 99 percent in highly urbanised districts. This indicates that the CVI can effectively track changes in economic activity and identify areas where new growth opportunities are emerging.
By integrating satellite data with traditional economic measures, the City Vitality Index provides a useful framework for understanding India's evolving urban economy. It helps policymakers, investors, and businesses identify key regional strengths, from technology-based clusters in metros to agricultural and industrial growth corridors in smaller towns. The report also reflects how India's economic activity is expanding beyond traditional centres, confirming a gradual balance between large metros and emerging cities.
Source PTI
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