15 best cities to live in India

Cities have emerged as the prime engines of the Indian economic growth and generators of national wealth. . . the future is inescapably urban, says a study, jointly conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Institute of Competitiveness.

With a total urban population of 285 million, India's cities and towns are developing at a fast pace. But do Indian cities offer good quality of life?

Though quality of life is subjective and people differ on various factors based on their incomes, influences and cultures etc, a good city must offer basic amenities and infrastructure at a cost that makes living convenient and hassle free, the study states.

While Delhi turns out be the safest and best city to live in India, Jamshedpur and Patna are rated as the worst cities. The CII study maps 37 Indian cities on the basis of than 300 indicators on a 10 year time line series.

Click NEXT to check out India's 15 best cities to live in. . .

Score: 42.15

India's capital city, New Delhi comes first in terms of education, safety, transportation, economic environment, income and employment, business environment and purchasing power.

It is rated second in economic infrastructure. It ranks 17th in health and medical standards.

Delhi ranks second in housing options and socio-cultural political environment. The city ranks third in natural-built or planned environment.

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Score: 41.21

India's financial capital, Mumbai ranks first in housing, socio-cultural political environment and economic infrastructure.

The city comes second in education, economic environment, income and employment and purchasing power. While it lags behind at health and medical services, it is fourth in terms of safety.

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Score: 32.91

The booming southern city of Chennai scores high on education and safety. It is ranked 4th in education and 5th in safety, housing, socio-cultural political environment and economic environment. It is ranked 7th in terms of income and employment.

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Score: 32.06

The IT capital of India, Bengaluru, is the 4th best city to live in India. Bengaluru is ranked third in education, safety and housing and economic environment.

It lags behind in health and medical facilities being ranked at 18th position. It scores high on income and employment and is tenth in purchasing power.

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Score: 30.57

The city with a blend of the old colonial charm and modern facilities, Kolkata is the 5th best city to live in India. It is ranked 4th in terms of health and medical facilities.

It comes third in socio-cultural political environment. It lags behind in housing options at 32nd position. The city is rated 7th best in terms of education and 14th in terms of safety among the 37 cities in India.

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Score: 27.83

Hyderabad scores high on safety and housing both at the 6th position. It is ranked 8th on education and socio-cultural political environment.

However, it falls on the health and medical facilities front at 26th. In terms of economic environment, infrastructure and purchasing power it is among the top 10.

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Score: 27.03

The commercial capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad has progressed steadily over the years. It is ranked 9th in safety and socio-cultural political environment. Education wise, it is ranked 10th.

It is ranked 9th in terms of economic environment, infrastructure and purchasing power. It lags behind in economic infrastructure.

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Score: 26.28

The vibrant city of Pune scores high on education and purchasing power.

It is ranked 5th in education, purchasing power, income and employment, 7th in safety and socio-cultural political environment. It lags in economic infrastructure and healthcare facilities.

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Score: 25.42

The financial centre of Haryana is the 9th best city to live in India.

Gurgaon is ranked No.1 in terms of housing options, 6th in education, 9th in economic infrastructure. It falls in terms of safety (at 32) and healthcare facilities at 29th position.

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Score: 24.90

It is not surprising that India's tourism hotspot, Goa is among the top ten liveable places in India.

Goa is ranked at 4th position in terms of socio-cultural political environment, purchasing power, 7th in healthcare facilities and 13th in education. It scores low on safety and economic environment.

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Score: 24.14

The capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla is a favourite destination for tourists. It is rated as the 5th best in education, economic environment and healthcare. The city is ranked 10th in housing options.

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Score: 23.89

The 'Queen of the Arabian seas', Kochi is the second largest city in Kerala. The commercial hub of Kerala, it also has one of the major seaports.

The city is ranked third in education and health facilities. However, it falls in safety, housing options and economic environment.

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Score: 23.72

The capital of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal scores high on safety. However, health and medical facilities are a matter of concern here. It also fares badly in education and socio-cultural political environment.

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Score: 23.45

The capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh is one of the best planned cities in India.

It is ranked 3rd in purchasing power, 4th in housing options, 8th in economic environment, 9th in education and 10th in healthcare. It falls in terms of safety at 29th position.

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Score: 23.12

Kozhikode is the third largest city in Kerala. One of the major commercial centres, the city has developed at a fast pace. It is ranked first among the 37 cities in India for the best healthcare and medical facilities.

It ranks at third on purchasing power, 8th in economic environment, 10th in housing options and socio-cultural political environment. However, it falls in terms of safety. Though, it scores low on the education front, the city has the Indian Institute of Management (IIM).