India’s IT capital Bengaluru has emerged as “the most dynamic city in the world”, piping the Silicon Valley region, Shanghai and Boston. Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City came in second, while the Silicon Valley region in the United States claimed the third spot. The rankings were determined by the JLL City Momentum Index and released at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Besides Bengaluru, Hyderabad is the only other Indian city to make it to the top 10 in the list. Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune feature among the top 30, half of which are cities in the Asia-Pacific.
So far, the Karnataka capital had been in the news for the wrong reasons since reports emerged that scores of women had been harassed in the heart of Bengaluru on New Year’s Eve. “This gives us a boost at the global level...The pace at which Bengaluru is growing is perhaps responsible for this tag,” Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge told CNN-News18.
The rankings are decided on the basis of several parameters such as population, technology, connectivity, education and real estate investment. However, liveability and environment are fast becoming the two important determining criteria. “For example, affordability and space constraints in San Francisco [ranked 21] contributed to knocking that city out of the top 20 for the first time and Hong Kong out of the top 30,” read the report. Pollution dragged down the rankings of Delhi and Beijing.
As many as 134 cities were assessed, and the full findings of the report will be published on February 1.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!