Urbanization in India: Trends and Patterns

The thinking of politicians on urbanization has shifted since the 2000s. The 11th Five Year Plan states that urbanization can be regarded as a beneficial force for overall growth as the urban market accounts for nearly 35% of GDP. It is also increasingly clear that an optimistic target of 9 to 10% GDP growth relies primarily on the volatile urban economy. As per the 2011 census, urbanization has risen more rapidly than anticipated. In the 1980s and 1990s, which reversed the slowing urban population growth pattern. Also, the total growth of urban residents was higher than in rural areas for the first time since independence. The urban population has increased from 286 million in 2001 to 377 million in 2011 a growth of 91 million over 90.5 million in rural areas. However, the economic transformation has tremendous consequences for the availability of urban infrastructure and urban services.