Urbanization in India

Urbanization in India: Urbanization is increasing by 2.3% each year. As per the estimation of the United Nations, in 2030 India’s urban population will reach 40.76% of the total population. Urbanization is the process of movement of the population of a country from the rural part to different cities and forming new cities or towns. We can also refer to the term as the growth of urban populations. In 2011, India’s urban population was more than 30% and it is estimated that it is going to reach around 41% by 2030.

Today, urban India is “distributed” as a structure that consists of large and small cities in the nation. South India faces more urbanization than Northern and Eastern India just because of the historical, social, cultural, and good educational resources. As per the modern context, urbanization involves a set of so many complex factors including economic, demographic, social, cultural, technological, and environmental processes.

In this article, we will discuss urbanization in India with its History, Causes, and Current Urbanization Rate of India in detail.

Urbanization Rate in India

India, China, and Nigeria are leading the way in urbanization. They are collectively contributing to 35% of the world’s urban population growth which is expected to happen between 2018 and 2050. India is gradually becoming more like a city. It is because lots of people are moving from the countryside to cities. Right now, approximately more than 461 million people live in Indian cities, and it is increasing every year. This urbanization makes Indian cities grow by about 2.3 percent each year. By 2031, three-quarters of the money made in India will come from cities. In 2018, many cities in India had populations ranging from 3 lakhs to 1 million people. There were 120 medium-sized cities with populations in this range. At the same time, only five urban areas had 20 million or more inhabitants. But, building well-developed cities needs roads and buildings. It is a really hard work to do. Most of the things cities will need by the year 2050 have not even been built yet. It is estimated that it will take about 827 billion US dollars to build what is missing. Tamil Nadu is the most city-like state in India, Kerala and Maharashtra are next, while Himachal Pradesh is the least city-like, meaning it’s more like the countryside.

Urbanization in India: State-wise Data

• Over 75% of people of the total population is living in cities in ten states: Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Kerala.
• Maharashtra has 50.8 million city dwellers making up 13.5% of the country’s urban population.
• Uttar Pradesh has about 44.4 million city residents followed by Tamil Nadu with 34.9 million.
• Goa has the highest urban population percentage at 62.2%.
• Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Gujarat have over 40% of their population living in cities.
• Mizoram is the most urbanized state among North-Eastern states. 51.5% of its population is currently living in cities.
• Bihar, Odisha, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh have lower urbanization levels than the national average.
• The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi and the Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh have the highest urban populations at 97.5% and 97.25% respectively. Daman Diu and Lakshadweep follow the stats.

History of Urbanization in India

The evolution of urbanization in India has a long history. The history of Indian urbanization is related to so many incidents from ancient India to the British period. Let us discuss.

Ancient Times to Colonial Influence

• India has been urbanizing for a long time, even back in ancient times.
• The Indus Valley Civilization is a classic example of ancient urbanization. The cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were the earliest urban phases in India.
• This urban phase lasted around 600 years from about 2350 BC to 1750 BC.
• When the British East India Company arrived, it really changed how cities grew in India.

British Contributions to the Urbanization

• The first city government started in Madras around 1687-88 under British Rule.
• City governments were set up in Bombay and Calcutta in 1726.
• In 1882, a plan was made for local governments in villages, districts, and towns, led by Lord Ripon.
• Lord Ripon is known as the Father of Local Self-Government in India because of this plan.
• The plan led to the formation of village councils, district boards, and city governments.
• Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai became big cities with ports.
• Hill stations like Darjeeling and Shimla were created for people to visit.
• Cities changed with new areas like civil lines and cantonments.
• Trains and new industries were introduced.
• Cities got better services and management.
• Colleges and universities were established in cities for modern education.
• After Independence, cities grew faster because of a mixed economy that helped private businesses grow.

Causes of Urbanization in India

Urbanization in India takes place because of so many different reasons that are connected to how people live in the urban areas and make money. By understanding these reasons, we can see how Indian villages can be modified into busy cities as mentioned below.

1. Industrialization

The growth of industries is a major reason why more people are moving from villages to cities. People from areas where there aren’t many job opportunities move to cities to find better work.

2. Social Reasons

People are moving to cities because they offer a lot of things like better living conditions, more freedom, and opportunities to pursue their own interests.

3. Business Opportunities

In rural India, many people rely on farming, which depends on rainfall. But in cities, there are more jobs in different fields, so people move there for new opportunities.

4. Modernization

Cities have good roads, communication systems, and better healthcare, which attract people from villages. They believe they can have a better life in the city than in their villages.

Significance of Urbanization In India

Urbanization brings positive changes such as creating jobs, improving technology and infrastructure, making transportation and communication better, providing education and healthcare, and raising living standards. Living in cities is connect people to higher literacy rates and education levels, improved health, longer life spans and easier access to social services. People get more chances to take part in cultural and political activities. Urbanization and economic progress go hand in hand, leading to industrial growth, more job opportunities with increased productivity.

Drawbacks of Urbanization In India

Due to urbanization, there is not enough houses for everyone as more people move to big cities. Cities are getting too crowded because urbanization brings more and more people to live there. Many educated people ca not find good jobs, especially in big cities, because of urbanization. Because there is not enough space for houses, people end up living in slums as a result of urbanization. Cities do not have enough systems to handle all the waste from so many people. It is an another challenge of urbanization. When cities get too crowded, diseases like COVID-19 can spread quickly and it risks the life of urbanization. More people in cities means more cars and pollution which is a consequence of urbanization. Urbanization makes cities get hotter than the countryside because of all the buildings and people. These incidents cause Urban Heat Islands. In crowded cities, there is more crime and violence because urbanization. It leads to shortage of resources, overcrowding, higher poverty rates, unemployment, and a loss of social services and education.

Impact of Urbanization In India

• More jobs: Cities have more factories, offices, and shops, meaning more job opportunities for people coming from villages. This can improve their income and standard of living.
• Better facilities: Cities often have better schools, hospitals, and transportation, which can improve people’s health and education.
• New ideas and cultures: Cities bring people from different places together, leading to a mix of ideas and cultures, which can be exciting and enriching.
• Crowding and pollution: As more people move in, cities become crowded, leading to traffic jams, pollution, and shortage of resources like water and housing.
• Cost of living: City life is often expensive, making it difficult for some people to afford basic needs like food and shelter.
• Loss of farmland: When people move to cities, farmland might be neglected, affecting food production.

Conclusion – Urbanization in India

In conclusion, as more people move to cities in India, there are good things like economic growth, but also challenges like not enough homes, overcrowding, and pollution. To make cities better, we need good planning, more infrastructure, and fair opportunities for everyone. In this article, we have discussed the urbanization in India with its History, Causes, and Current Urbanization Rate of India in detail.

People Also Read:

• Rural and Urban Settlements
• Urbanization: Cause and Effect
• Issues Related to Urbanization in India

FAQs on Urbanization in India

What is the current level of urbanization in India?

In 2023, 36.4% of India’s population lived in urban areas. This is an increase from 21% in 1960. In 2022, about a third of India’s population lived in cities.

What is the cause of growing urbanization in India?

Urbanization in India has increased rapidly as more people move to cities and towns for economic opportunities. This growth is due to a number of factors like Industrialization, Economic growth, Infrastructure and Better lifestyle.

What is the possibility of urbanization in India?

India’s urbanization rate is expected to increase from 35.9% in 2022 to 50.9% in 2047. By 2035, India’s urban population is projected to be 675,456,000, which is 43.2% of the country’s population.

What is the problem of urbanisation in India?

Urbanization in India has led to a lack of coordination between different levels of government, particularly between the central and state governments. This has resulted in a lack of cohesive urban planning, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of proper housing and transportation.

What are the three main problem of urbanization in India?

Shortage of housing, vertical expansion and growth of slums are characteristic features of modern cities of developing countries.

What are the problems with urban society in India?

Urban problems are endless. To name the more important among them are: pollution, corruption, unemployment, crime and juvenile delinquency, overcrowding and slums ,drug addiction and alcoholism, and begging.