Metropolitan cities in India are regarded as vital economical, cultural and political centres. Further, the metropolitan cities in the country are also considered as the crucial hub for regional or international associations and communications. In India, the Census Commission defines a Metropolitan City as one possessing a population of more than 40 lakh (4 million). There are around 100 metropolitan cities in India, out of which Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune are the 8 cities that qualify as the top metro cities in the country. Inhabitants of the metropolitan cities in India are also entitled to get a higher House Rent Allowance. The figure however, only applies to the city region and not the urban extension. The metropolitan, or more popularly, the metro cities of India, can very much be identified by the sky-scraping buildings, huge shopping malls, smooth and accessible roads, technically advanced hospitals, establishment of various corporate units, pleasing restaurants and other such amenities.

The other metropolitan cities are Kanpur, Surat, Nagpur, Udaipur, Srinagar, Jhansi, Bokaro, Ajmer, Puducherry, Ranchi, Chandigarh, Tirupur, Bikaner, Jalandhar, Gwalior, Moradabad, Belgaum, Warangal among others.

Advantages of Metropolitan cities in India
The advantages of living in a metropolitan in India are no doubt endless. These metropolitans showcase a true merging of modernity and antiquity. The metropolitan cities in current India are also very much economically well developed, with the Central Government shelling out every kind of treasure to make Indian metropolises appear the most appropriate to the overseas market. These 8 cities already mentioned, are fashioned with modern facilities and comforts of all kinds, which brings umpteen aspiring ambitious people in search of prospects to fulfill their dreams. The metropolitan Indian cities provide adequate employment opportunities to the employment seekers and enthusiasts. They also incessantly furnish excellent means of enjoyment and fun, with the contemporary Indian state of affairs also attracting the night life revellers enjoying to their heart`s content in a class and section of their own.

However, besides the five A-1 cities (New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai), Metropolitan cities in India also possesses a Second Tier (A-2) of sophisticated cities, comprising of Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune. The Metropolitan cities in India are mentioned as follows -

Mumbai
Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is considered as the financial hub and financial capital of India. It is one of the world`s fourth major metropolitan agglomerations. Mumbai is famous for the Indian Film Industry, known as Bollywood, Bombay Stock Exchange and is referred to as the commercial capital of India.

Bengaluru
Bengaluru, originally known as Bangalore, is the capital of Karnataka and is the third largest city in India and the fifth largest metropolitan agglomeration, renamed as Silicon Valley of India. Bengaluru is the technical and the major Information Technology nucleus of the country. It is the largest and the fastest growing market. The city is regarded as the third largest centre for high net worth individuals after Delhi and Mumbai.

Chennai
Chennai is the fourth largest metropolitan area of India and the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The urban agglomeration of Chennai has an approximate population over 8 million, making it one of the largest urban agglomerations in India. Roughly 40% of the automobile industries are based in Chennai and hence the place is also recognised as the Automobile Capital of India.

Hyderabad
Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, is the largest contributor of the state`s Gross Domestic Product, State Tax and Excise Revenues. Hyderabad is the major centre of pharmaceuticals with companies as Matrix Laboratories, Hetero Drugs Limited, Divis Labs, Aurobindo Pharma Limited and Vimta Labs being based in the city. The major contributor is the service industry of the state. Hyderabad city is known today for its IT and IT Enabled Services, Pharmaceuticals and Entertainment industries.

Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad is the largest city in Gujarat. It is situated on the banks of Sabarmati River. The city is regarded as the largest island business centre in western region of the country. Ahmedabad owns a number of Textile and Pharmaceuticals industries.

New Delhi
New Delhi, the Capital city, is considered as an imperative commercial centre of South Asia. The key service industries of New Delhi include Telecommunications, Information Technology, Banking, Media, Hotels and Tourism. New Delhi is also the administrative hub of India and houses the Indian Parliament.

Pune
Pune, the 8th largest urban agglomeration of India, is located in western Indian state of Maharashtra, serving as a major industrial nucleus. It is home to the world`s largest two-wheeler manufacturers, comprising the Bajaj Auto and Tata Motors. Pune has the presence of software industries like Rajiv Gandhi IT Park, Tech Mahindra, Wipro, Magarpatta Cybercity, MIDC Software Technology Park etc. Many of the major software companies of India as Infosys, TCS, Neilsoft etc. have a key presence in this metropolitan city.

Kolkata
Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, is India`s third most populous metropolitan area and urban agglomeration. The city, situated on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, is the major business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India and also of the north-eastern states. Kolkata was a prime centre of the Indian Freedom Struggle and still acts as a major hub for modern day state politics. The city has witnessed economic

Kanpur
This city is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh and is the 2nd largest Hindi speaking belt in the country after New Delhi. It is one of the oldest townships in the North India. The city is popular for its industrial belts and also has adequate population.

Surat
This city is the administrative capital of the district of Surat and is certainly one of the largest growing cities in the country. Surat is ranked 36th among all the largest cities in the world. The city of Surat is located south of Gandhinagar at a distance of 306 km to the left of the river Tapi.

These are the main metropolitan cities in India. These metropolitan cities of India have solemnly been painstakingly well developed from the economic side, with features of the most contemporaneous infrastructure of education in the schools, colleges and universities, contemporary facilities to everyday commuters and cultural modernization.