India Map – Cities & Towns [IN]
India’s city map is shaped by a very large federal country, dense northern plains, long coastlines, the Deccan plateau, Himalayan corridors, and a wide network of state capitals, industrial cities, ports, pilgrimage towns, and administrative centers. This reference page uses selected major places rather than every municipality. City population values are based mainly on Census 2011 city or town counts, while national population and surface-area context are kept separate because newer estimates use different methods and boundaries.
Major City Labels And Population Scope
Large labels such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune, and Jaipur show the upper tier of India’s urban system by Census 2011 city population. State capitals and union territory seats are included when they help orient the map, even when their city population is smaller.
City, Town, And Urban Agglomeration
Indian census geography separates statutory towns, census towns, city proper areas, municipal corporations, and urban agglomerations. A city proper count can be much smaller than its wider metropolitan or urban agglomeration area. This page labels population values carefully to avoid mixing those definitions.
India Census 2027: Current Status
Census 2027 is underway, but it has not yet produced replacement city-population tables for the Census 2011 figures used on this map. Phase I is the Houselisting and Housing Census, while Population Enumeration will supply the person-level demographic data used for the next census population release. Until those official Census 2027 population tables are published, Census 2011 remains the latest completed census source for comparable city and town counts.
The 2011 city and town values below are official historical census counts, not estimates of India’s 2026 urban population. They remain useful for like-for-like city comparisons until Census 2027 population results are released.
Map Reading Cues For India
Northern Plains
The Indo-Gangetic plain has a dense chain of cities and towns from Punjab and Haryana through Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata help anchor this belt on a national map.
Western Urban Corridor
Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur form a strong western and northwestern pattern. The map shows ports, inland industrial cities, and state capitals close enough to form visible corridors at country scale.
Southern City Network
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, Coimbatore, Madurai, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram show how southern urban geography is split between the Deccan interior and coastal routes on the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
Himalayan And Island Context
Srinagar, Leh, Dehradun, Shimla, Gangtok, Itanagar, Port Blair, and Kavaratti are not always among the largest city populations, but they are important for reading highland, border, and island administration on a country map.
Searchable Table Of Selected Cities And Towns In India
The table is a selected map reference set, not a full gazetteer. Population values use Census 2011 city or town counts where a comparable figure is commonly available. Coordinates are approximate city-center coordinates for mapping and orientation, not address-level locations.
| Place | Type | State / Union Territory | Macro Region | Population Reference | Latitude | Longitude | Map Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | National capital | Delhi | North | 2011 city: approx. 249,998 | 28.6139 | 77.2090 | Capital marker | Government seat within the National Capital Territory. |
| Mumbai | Metropolitan city | Maharashtra | West | 2011 city: 12,442,373 | 19.0760 | 72.8777 | Largest city proper | West-coast port and financial center. |
| Delhi | Metropolitan city | Delhi | North | 2011 city: 11,034,555 | 28.7041 | 77.1025 | National capital urban core | City count differs from New Delhi municipality and wider NCT counts. |
| Bengaluru | State capital | Karnataka | South | 2011 city: 8,443,675 | 12.9716 | 77.5946 | Southern hub | Large inland city on the southern plateau. |
| Hyderabad | State capital | Telangana | South | 2011 city: 6,993,262 | 17.3850 | 78.4867 | Deccan hub | Capital of Telangana and a major south-central city. |
| Ahmedabad | Metropolitan city | Gujarat | West | 2011 city: 5,577,940 | 23.0225 | 72.5714 | Western hub | Large city near the Gujarat capital region. |
| Chennai | State capital | Tamil Nadu | South | 2011 city: 4,646,732 | 13.0827 | 80.2707 | East-coast hub | Bay of Bengal port and Tamil Nadu capital. |
| Kolkata | State capital | West Bengal | East | 2011 city: 4,496,694 | 22.5726 | 88.3639 | Eastern hub | Lower Ganges delta city and West Bengal capital. |
| Surat | Metropolitan city | Gujarat | West | 2011 city: 4,467,797 | 21.1702 | 72.8311 | Industrial hub | Major city in southern Gujarat. |
| Pune | Metropolitan city | Maharashtra | West | 2011 city: 3,124,458 | 18.5204 | 73.8567 | Interior western hub | Linked to the Mumbai-Pune corridor. |
| Jaipur | State capital | Rajasthan | North | 2011 city: 3,046,163 | 26.9124 | 75.7873 | Northwest hub | Capital of Rajasthan. |
| Lucknow | State capital | Uttar Pradesh | North | 2011 city: 2,817,105 | 26.8467 | 80.9462 | State capital marker | Capital of Uttar Pradesh. |
| Kanpur | Industrial city | Uttar Pradesh | North | 2011 city: 2,765,348 | 26.4499 | 80.3319 | Ganges plain city | Industrial city west of Lucknow. |
| Nagpur | Regional hub | Maharashtra | Central | 2011 city: 2,405,665 | 21.1458 | 79.0882 | Central marker | Transport node near the geographic middle of India. |
| Indore | Regional hub | Madhya Pradesh | Central | 2011 city: 1,964,086 | 22.7196 | 75.8577 | Central-west hub | Largest city in Madhya Pradesh by city population. |
| Thane | Metropolitan city | Maharashtra | West | 2011 city: 1,841,488 | 19.2183 | 72.9781 | Mumbai region city | Part of the wider Mumbai metropolitan zone. |
| Bhopal | State capital | Madhya Pradesh | Central | 2011 city: 1,798,218 | 23.2599 | 77.4126 | State capital marker | Capital of Madhya Pradesh. |
| Visakhapatnam | Port city | Andhra Pradesh | South | 2011 city: 1,728,128 | 17.6868 | 83.2185 | East-coast port | Major city on the Bay of Bengal. |
| Pimpri-Chinchwad | Industrial city | Maharashtra | West | 2011 city: 1,727,692 | 18.6298 | 73.7997 | Pune region city | Industrial municipality in the Pune urban region. |
| Patna | State capital | Bihar | East | 2011 city: approx. 1,683,200 | 25.5941 | 85.1376 | Ganges corridor hub | Capital of Bihar. |
| Vadodara | Industrial city | Gujarat | West | 2011 city: 1,670,806 | 22.3072 | 73.1812 | Western industrial city | Located between Ahmedabad and Surat. |
| Ghaziabad | Metropolitan city | Uttar Pradesh | North | 2011 city: 1,648,643 | 28.6692 | 77.4538 | Delhi region city | Part of the wider National Capital Region. |
| Ludhiana | Industrial city | Punjab | North | 2011 city: 1,618,879 | 30.9010 | 75.8573 | Punjab hub | Large industrial city in northwestern India. |
| Agra | Historic city | Uttar Pradesh | North | 2011 city: 1,585,704 | 27.1767 | 78.0081 | Yamuna corridor city | Large city between Delhi and the Ganges plain. |
| Nashik | Regional hub | Maharashtra | West | 2011 city: 1,486,053 | 19.9975 | 73.7898 | Inland western city | Northern Maharashtra urban center. |
| Faridabad | Industrial city | Haryana | North | 2011 city: 1,414,050 | 28.4089 | 77.3178 | Delhi region city | Large city south of Delhi. |
| Meerut | Regional hub | Uttar Pradesh | North | 2011 city: 1,305,429 | 28.9845 | 77.7064 | Upper Ganges plain city | North of Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh. |
| Rajkot | Regional hub | Gujarat | West | 2011 city: 1,286,678 | 22.3039 | 70.8022 | Saurashtra hub | Large city in western Gujarat. |
| Varanasi | River city | Uttar Pradesh | North | 2011 city: 1,201,815 | 25.3176 | 82.9739 | Ganges river city | Eastern Uttar Pradesh urban and pilgrimage center. |
| Srinagar | Union territory capital seat | Jammu and Kashmir | North | 2011 city: 1,180,570 | 34.0837 | 74.7973 | Highland capital marker | Kashmir Valley city; administrative arrangements may be seasonal. |
| Ranchi | State capital | Jharkhand | East | 2011 city: approx. 1,073,427 | 23.3441 | 85.3096 | Plateau state capital | Capital of Jharkhand. |
| Jabalpur | Regional hub | Madhya Pradesh | Central | 2011 city: approx. 1,055,525 | 23.1815 | 79.9864 | Central city | Important city in eastern Madhya Pradesh. |
| Guwahati | Regional hub | Assam | Northeast | 2011 city: approx. 962,334 | 26.1445 | 91.7362 | Northeast gateway | Largest city in Assam. |
| Chandigarh | Union territory and capital city | Chandigarh | North | 2011 city: approx. 960,787 | 30.7333 | 76.7794 | Shared capital marker | Union territory and shared capital of Punjab and Haryana. |
| Port Blair | Union territory capital | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Island / Offshore | 2011 town: approx. 100,608 | 11.6234 | 92.7265 | Island capital marker | Capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. |
Administrative Hierarchy On An India Map
1. Country
India is mapped as the Republic of India with ISO country code IN and alpha-3 code IND. Country-level map layers usually show national boundaries, coastlines, neighboring countries, and major city labels.
2. States And Union Territories
The national map is divided into 28 states and 8 union territories. States have their own elected governments, while union territories are administered under a different constitutional arrangement.
3. Districts
Districts are the main sub-state administrative units used for many census, election, and government datasets. District boundaries are often more useful than city dots for local map reading.
4. Municipal Areas And Town Classes
Urban labels may refer to a municipal corporation, municipality, census town, statutory town, or urban agglomeration. Those definitions affect population tables and map labels.
States, Union Territories, And Capital Seats
This administrative table is intended for map orientation. Some states or union territories use seasonal, shared, or special administrative seats; notes identify those cases where they matter for map labels.
| Administrative Unit | Category | Capital / Seat | Map Region | Notes For Map Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | State | Amaravati | South | Visakhapatnam is also a major east-coast city. |
| Arunachal Pradesh | State | Itanagar | Northeast | Himalayan and border-state context. |
| Assam | State | Dispur | Northeast | Guwahati is the larger urban label nearby. |
| Bihar | State | Patna | East | Middle Ganges corridor capital. |
| Chhattisgarh | State | Raipur | Central | Central-eastern state capital. |
| Goa | State | Panaji | West | Small coastal state with compact settlement pattern. |
| Gujarat | State | Gandhinagar | West | Ahmedabad is the larger neighboring city label. |
| Haryana | State | Chandigarh | North | Capital is shared with Punjab. |
| Himachal Pradesh | State | Shimla | North | Dharamshala is also used for seasonal legislative functions. |
| Jharkhand | State | Ranchi | East | Plateau state capital. |
| Karnataka | State | Bengaluru | South | Large state capital and major inland city. |
| Kerala | State | Thiruvananthapuram | South | Kochi is a major port and commercial label. |
| Madhya Pradesh | State | Bhopal | Central | Indore is the largest city by city population. |
| Maharashtra | State | Mumbai | West | Includes Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, and other large cities. |
| Manipur | State | Imphal | Northeast | Valley-centered settlement pattern. |
| Meghalaya | State | Shillong | Northeast | Hill-state capital. |
| Mizoram | State | Aizawl | Northeast | Hill-state capital near the eastern borderlands. |
| Nagaland | State | Kohima | Northeast | Dimapur is a larger transport label. |
| Odisha | State | Bhubaneswar | East | Cuttack and Bhubaneswar form a close urban pair. |
| Punjab | State | Chandigarh | North | Capital is shared with Haryana. |
| Rajasthan | State | Jaipur | North | Large northwestern state with desert and semi-arid zones. |
| Sikkim | State | Gangtok | Northeast | Himalayan state capital. |
| Tamil Nadu | State | Chennai | South | Includes major cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchirappalli. |
| Telangana | State | Hyderabad | South | Hyderabad dominates the state’s map labels. |
| Tripura | State | Agartala | Northeast | Compact state near Bangladesh. |
| Uttar Pradesh | State | Lucknow | North | Contains many large Ganges plain cities. |
| Uttarakhand | State | Dehradun | North | Gairsain is used as a summer capital reference in some contexts. |
| West Bengal | State | Kolkata | East | Delta, corridor, and Himalayan foothill geography within one state. |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Union territory | Port Blair | Island / Offshore | Bay of Bengal island chain. |
| Chandigarh | Union territory | Chandigarh | North | Union territory and shared capital city. |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Union territory | Daman | West | Western coastal and inland enclaves. |
| Delhi | Union territory | New Delhi | North | National Capital Territory. |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Union territory | Srinagar / Jammu | North | Seasonal capital-seat usage is common in map notes. |
| Ladakh | Union territory | Leh / Kargil | North | High-altitude Himalayan and trans-Himalayan territory. |
| Lakshadweep | Union territory | Kavaratti | Island / Offshore | Arabian Sea island group. |
| Puducherry | Union territory | Puducherry | South | Union territory with geographically separated districts. |
Urban Corridors And Settlement Patterns
Mumbai–Pune And Western India
The Mumbai-Pune corridor is one of the easiest patterns to see on a national cities map. It sits close to other western city labels such as Nashik, Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, and Rajkot, producing a dense west-side chain of ports, inland cities, and industrial centers.
Delhi And The National Capital Region
Delhi, New Delhi, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram, Noida, and Meerut can appear close together on detailed maps. At country scale, these places may be generalized into a small number of labels to avoid overlap.
Ganges Plain Cities
Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna, and Kolkata show the east-west pull of the Ganges and its associated plains. This zone contains many large and medium-sized cities within a relatively narrow belt.
Coastal And Delta Cities
Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Surat, Mangaluru, and Port Blair show how sea access shapes city placement. Coastal labels are useful for reading ports, trade routes, deltas, and island administration.
Map Data Notes
What Is Stable
- India’s ISO alpha-2 country code is IN and alpha-3 code is IND.
- The national administrative structure used here is 28 states and 8 union territories.
- New Delhi is the national capital; Delhi and New Delhi are not identical map units.
- Census 2011 remains the latest completed census source for comparable official city and town population counts while Census 2027 data collection is underway.
What May Vary
- Population rankings change when using city proper, municipal corporation, metropolitan area, or urban agglomeration boundaries.
- Some map layers use de facto boundaries; others use a national or international point of view.
- Administrative seats such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh may need notes in detailed maps.
- Coordinates are rounded city-center references and should not be used for surveying or routing to a precise site.
Sources Used For This Reference
- National Portal of India — India State/UTs & Districts
- National Portal of India — India Overview
- Census India — Census Tables
- Census India — A-04 Class I Towns and Urban Agglomerations, 2011
- Ministry of Home Affairs / PIB — Census 2027 Preparatory Activities, 12 August 2026
- Ministry of Home Affairs / PIB — Tamil Nadu and Tripura Phase I Update, 17 July 2026
- PIB — Assam Census 2027 Self-Enumeration Schedule, 1 August 2026
- Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India / PIB — Census 2027 Phase I Schedule
- World Bank DataBank — India, World Development Indicators
- ISO — ISO 3166 Country Codes
- Natural Earth — Cultural Vectors, Boundaries, States, Populated Places
- GeoNames — Largest Cities in India
- Nominatim / OpenStreetMap — Geocoding Reference
FAQ
What is the capital of India on a map?
The capital is New Delhi. On many maps, New Delhi appears inside the wider Delhi urban area or National Capital Territory, so Delhi and New Delhi should not be treated as the same map unit.
What are the largest cities shown on this India map?
Using Census 2011 city proper counts, the largest city labels include Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Kanpur. Rankings can differ when urban agglomerations or metropolitan regions are used.
Why do India city population numbers vary by source?
Different sources may use city proper, municipal corporation, statutory town, census town, urban agglomeration, metropolitan region, or district boundaries. India’s Census 2011 Class I city tables are useful for comparable official city and town counts, but they are not the same as current metro estimates.
Why does this map still use Census 2011 city population figures?
Census 2027 is still in the data-collection stage. Phase I covers houselisting and housing information, while the population-enumeration phase supplies person-level census data. Official Census 2027 city and town population tables have therefore not replaced the completed Census 2011 figures used here.
How are states and union territories represented?
India has 28 states and 8 union territories. State and union territory capitals are useful reference points because they explain many map labels that are administrative rather than purely population-based.
Are all towns in India included here?
No. India has thousands of towns and many more villages. This page uses a selected set of major cities, capitals, ports, regional hubs, and map-orientation places suitable for a country-scale reference map.
Why are coordinates rounded?
The latitude and longitude values are approximate city-center coordinates for map display. They are not parcel, building, or routing coordinates and should not be used as exact ground positions.