Engaging with the Concept of Governance in the Study of Indian Metropolises

While India is still a largely rural country (72 per cent of its population resided in rural areas at the time of the 2001 Census), it has been undergoing a steady process of urbanisation and its cities are consistently growing in size. Indeed, in 2007, Mumbai and Delhi were part of the ten largest megacities worldwide, and one-tenth of the world’s urban population lives in Indian cities. But by whom, and for who, are Indian metropolises being governed today? This question is central to the research project whose findings are presented in this book.