Capital makes it to top 125 global cities’ list

NEW DELHI: The Capital and Mumbai are among the 10 Indian cities that have made it to the top 125 global cities’ list that ranks cities based on their performance,

NEW DELHI: The Capital and Mumbai are among the 10 Indian cities that have made it to the top 125 global cities’ list that ranks cities based on their performance, long-term potential and smartness.

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Both cities, however, slipped a few notches. New Delhi ranked 61, down from 57, and Mumbai 44, down from 41 in the Global Cities Index. The index is one part of the Global Cities 2016 report. The index examines the city’s current performance based on business activity, human capital, information exchange, cultural experience and political engagement.

New Delhi has slipped 20 points since 2008. It has faced stiff competition since 2008 from other global centres such as Warsaw, Poland; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Osaka, Japan. While posting positive score growth every year in business activity, human capital, and cultural experience, the city dipped slightly in information exchange and political engagement in 2016, said Mike Hales, partner at AT Kearney and one of the authors of the Global Cities report.

“Taken together, this is not enough to keep pace with other global centres. New Delhi would do well to continue to focus on improving information exchange through increasing access to internet for its citizens and continue to improve in news agencies and Google presence. In political engagement, the city ranks at number 10, rising from number 35 in 2008. This is a testament to the capital city’s internationalisation. New Delhi excels in think tanks and embassies and consulates,” he said.

Global management consulting firm AT Kearney ranks cities every year on the basis of their ability to attract capital flow, access information through internet, provide a cultural experience and innovation capacity.

Bangalore is ranked 75, Chennai 77, Hyderabad 78, Pune 92 and Ahmedabad 101 in the list. The index ranks London, New York and Paris as the top three cities.

The Global Cities Outlook — the report’s second part — assesses the city’s potential on the basis of personal well being, economics, innovation and governance. Bangalore is among the best Indian city, ranked 73 up from 90 last year.

New Delhi is ranked 76, up from 87, and Mumbai 87 up from 93.

San Francisco, New York and Boston are ranked the top three cities.

All of India’s cities have seen a dramatic improvement in personal well-being as well as governance. Innovation has proven to be the largest differentiator between developed and developing country cities and India would do well to focus on improving here, adds Hale.