India does not have a primate city. While Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bengaluru are the largest cities, none meet the threshold of being at least twice as large as the second largest city. Historically, colonial cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and Delhi grew to be major economic centers, but India's large size, federal system of government, and regional diversity have prevented extreme primacy of one city over others. Regionalism and lack of centralized infrastructure and resources have also contributed to the absence of a single primate city dominating India's urban hierarchy.

1. Primate Cities in India
Submitted By: Rajesh K [M.U.R.P] I semester
School of Planning & Architecture – Vijayawada
An Institute of National Importance , MHRD ,
Govt of INDIA

2. Primate city
PRIMATE CITY :
• A primate city is a major city that works as
the financial, political, and population
centre of a country and is not rivalled in
any of these aspects by any other city in
that country
• Normally, a primate city must be at least
twice as populous as the second largest
city in the country.
PRIMACY INDEX [PI]
• PI = C1/ (C1 + C2 + C3 + C4) * 100
– PI = primacy index
– C1 = amount of people in the biggest
city of the country
– C2 = amount of people in the second
city of the country
– C3 = amount of people on the third
city of the country
– C4 = amount of people in the fourth
city of the country
If the PI is > or = to 50, then it
is a primate city.

3. Connectivity
• Golden Quadrilateral highway
• North–South and East–West
Corridor highway.
• Expressways make up
approximately 1,208 km
(751 mi) of India's road
network.
• The present suburban railway
services in India are limited and
are operational only in
Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune,
Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad
and Bengaluru.
• Ports.

4. • In India the present phase of urbanization has a short history, starting with the
modern factory industries developed on the Western line.
• Here four nodal cities developed during colonial rule Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai
and Delhi have paid significant role.
• Three of these were port cities with their respective hinterland where they
exercised their influence.
• The fourth was the capital of the British India and acted as a dry port with
profound impact in the northern parts of the country.
• Hence, Indian urbanization system was developed not along the single node
Major Cities in India

5. Map of Comparison of population
Population increase from 2001-2011
Rank
Urban
Agglomeration
Population
(2011)
Population
(2001)
Growth
rate
Primacy Index
for 2001
Primacy Index
for 2011
1 Mumbai 183,94,912 164,34,386 11.93 38.66 41.8
2 Delhi 163,49,831 138,50,507 18.05 42.02 44.38
3 Kolkata 140,57,991 132,05,697 6.45 45.05 58.62
4 Chennai 86,53,521 65,60,242 31.91 31.34 33.25
5 Bengaluru 85,20,435 57,01,446 49.44 35.98 33.86
6 Hyderabad 76,77,018 57,42,036 33.7 40.29 42.79
0
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
14,000,000
16,000,000
18,000,000
20,000,000
Population distribution from 2001-2011
Population (2001) Population (2011)

6. Primacy at India Level
• At present, in India, there is no primate city. India being a federal state, the situation does not
warrant to give fillip to only one centre agglomerated voluminously leaving far behind other
centres.
• In 1981, Delhi was the national capital, but it has third rank after Kolkata and Mumbai, their
respective population being 5.7, 8.2 and 9.19 million. This was again not the case of primacy.
• Prior to 1991 Census Kolkata was the largest city of India (1981 population being 9,194,018) while
Mumbai (1981 population 9,171,794) occupied the second rank. Hence the ratio between the
populations of these two premier cities was 1: 0.9975. During 1991 Census Greater Mumbai
emerged as the largest city of India.

7. • In 1991, The ratio between the population of Mumbai and other 5 largest cities of
the country in descending order thus comes to 0.8750 for Kolkata, 0.6684 for Delhi,
0.4303 for Chennai, 0.3448 for Hyderabad, 0.3278 for Bangalore. This does not fit
the law of the primate city.
• In 2011 Census, Mumbai was the largest city of India (2001 population being
16434386) while Delhi (2001 population 13850507) occupied the second rank.
Hence the ratio between the populations of these two premier cities was 1: 0.9975.
During 2001 and 2011 Census Greater Mumbai and Delhi emerged as the largest
city of India with a growth rate of 11.93 & 18.05. Kolkata is having very less growth
rate among these.
Primacy at India Level

8. • Mumbai with a population of 183,94,912, it is the
second most populous city in the world.
• Mumbai has a deep natural harbour. It handles over
half of India's maritime cargo. Mumbai is the
commercial centre of India, generating 5% of India's
GDP and accounting for 25% of industrial output, 40%
of maritime trade, and 70% of capital transactions to
India's economy.
• Mumbai is one of the world's top ten centres of
commerce by global financial flow( RBI, BSE, NSE and
MNC’s.
• Mumbai's business opportunities, as well as its
potential to offer a better standard of living, attract
migrants from all over India and, in turn, make the
city a potpourri of many communities and cultures.
Mumbai

9. • Delhi with a total area of 42.7 km2,
serves as the seat of the Government
of India.
• Delhi (sometimes referred to as Dilli)
is the second-largest city of India and
the eighth largest metropolis in the
world by population.
• It is a federally administered union
territory officially known as the
National Capital Region (NCR).
Located on the banks of river Yamuna
in northern India.
Delhi

10. • The city was established in the 17th century by the British,
developed it into a major urban centre and naval base.
• By the 20th century, it had become an important
administrative centre, as the capital of Madras Presidency.
Chennai's economy has a broad industrial base in the
automobile, technology, hardware manufacturing, and
healthcare industries.
• The city is home to much of India's automobile industry
and is the country's second-largest exporter of software,
information technology (IT) and information-technology-
enabled services (ITES), behind Bangalore.
• Chennai Zone contributes 39 per cent of the State’s GDP.
Chennai accounts for 60 per cent of the country’s
automotive exports and is sometimes referred to as "the
Detroit of India".
Chennai

11. • Calcutta served as the capital of India during the
British Raj until 1911. Once the centre of modern
education, industry, science, culture and politics in
India, Kolkata has witnessed intense political
violence, clashes and economic stagnation since
1954.
• Since the year 2000, economic rejuvenation has
spurred in the city's growth. Like other metropolitan
cities in India, Kolkata continues to struggle with the
problems of urbanisation: poverty, pollution and
traffic congestion.
• Kolkata is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging
from the Indian struggle for independence to the
leftist and trade union movements.
Kolkata

12. Bangalore
• Bangalore is India's third most populous city] and
fifth-most populous urban agglomeration.
• Bangalore is home to some of the most well-
recognized colleges and research institutions in
India.
• Numerous public sector heavy industries, software
companies, aerospace, telecommunications, and
defence organisations are located in the city.
• Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India, A
demographically diverse city, Bangalore is a major
economic hub.
Hyderabad
• Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and
architecture representing its unique character as a
meeting point for North and South India, and also its
multilingual culture, both geographically and
culturally.
• Hyderabad is today one of the fast developing cities
in the country and a modern hub of Information
technology, ITES, and biotechnology.

13. Growth of Indian Cities

14. Absence of primacy in India
• The large areal extent of India did not favour centralization of
infrastructure -economic, cultural and even social to bring about unitary
growth at one-point.
• India was never a politically unified nation until 1947.
• The colonial legacy of the past as well as the disintegration.
• lack of true urban hierarchy and integration of the large rural population.
• Regionalism and lot of confusion has been going on over sharing the
essential resources of water, energy, forests, etc.
• India is not politically a unitary state. It is partially federal and partially
unitary. Each state of India is seeking the development of its own prime
city.

15. Sources:
• Relationship between Urban Primacy and Hierarchical System by S
Sharma Geography
• Census of India.
• Ministry of Urban development Authority
• City profiles of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad.