Maharashtra has reinforced its position as a frontrunner in urban liveability, with four of its cities featuring in the top 10 of India’s Ease of Living rankings released as part of the Economic Survey 2025–26. While Pune topped the national list, Navi Mumbai secured the second position, Greater Mumbai ranked third, and Thane placed seventh, underscoring the depth and diversity of the state’s urban development performance.
The Ease of Living Index evaluates cities across a broad set of indicators that directly shape residents’ quality of life. These include education and healthcare access, housing availability, water supply and sanitation, waste management, urban mobility, public safety, and the presence of recreational and social infrastructure. The strong performance of Pune, Navi Mumbai, Greater Mumbai and Thane highlights Maharashtra’s sustained investments in civic services and infrastructure across both core cities and emerging urban centres.
Navi Mumbai’s second-place ranking reflects its long-standing reputation as one of India’s most systematically planned cities. Developed as a counter-magnet to Mumbai, the city has benefited from relatively organised land use, better road widths, dedicated nodes for residential and commercial activity, and improving public transport connectivity. Ongoing infrastructure upgrades and its strategic location within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have further strengthened its liveability credentials, positioning Navi Mumbai as a preferred destination for both residents and businesses.
Greater Mumbai’s third-place finish is particularly significant given the scale and complexity of managing one of the country’s most densely populated urban agglomerations. Despite challenges related to congestion, ageing infrastructure and land scarcity, Mumbai continues to score strongly on parameters such as healthcare access, educational institutions, economic opportunity and cultural infrastructure. Recent investments in urban transport, sanitation and digital civic services appear to have contributed to its improved standing compared to the previous year.
Thane, ranked seventh, has steadily emerged as a key urban centre in its own right. Once considered a peripheral suburb of Mumbai, Thane has undergone a rapid transformation driven by residential development, improved road and rail connectivity, and investments in water supply, public spaces and social infrastructure. Its inclusion in the top 10 reflects growing confidence in the city’s ability to balance rapid growth with liveability.
At the top of the list, Pune secured the number one position nationally, reaffirming its status as one of India’s most liveable cities. Known for its strong education ecosystem, expanding IT and manufacturing base, and relatively balanced urban form, Pune’s performance also highlights the advantages of mid-sized cities that combine economic dynamism with manageable density.
In the overall top 10, Maharashtra’s four cities—Pune, Navi Mumbai, Greater Mumbai and Thane—featured alongside Tirupati, Chandigarh, Raipur, Indore, Vijayawada and Bhopal. The concentration of Maharashtra cities in the rankings points to the state’s consistent focus on urban reforms, infrastructure delivery and service efficiency.
The latest results also mark a clear improvement over the 2024–25 Economic Survey, when Bengaluru topped the list, Pune was second, Navi Mumbai ranked sixth and Greater Mumbai stood tenth. The upward movement of Navi Mumbai and Mumbai in particular signals tangible progress in urban governance and infrastructure outcomes.
Urban experts note that such rankings increasingly influence investment decisions, real estate demand and talent migration. For Maharashtra, the strong presence of Pune, Navi Mumbai, Greater Mumbai and Thane in the top tier reinforces the state’s status as one of India’s most resilient and liveable urban regions.
Source: Pune Pulse
