Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, is the capital and largest city of Karnataka in southern India. According to the 2011 census, the city had 8.4 million inhabitants, making it the most populous city in South India and the third most populous city overall. The Bengaluru metropolitan area was the fourth most populous urban agglomeration in the country, home to 10.5 million people. It is located at the center of the Deccan Plateau at 900 meters above sea level. In India, the city is known as the “Garden City” because of its parks and green areas.

Bengaluru is one of the Indian metropolises that is growing at the fastest rate. The Bengaluru metropolitan area was one of the most productive in India, with an estimated GDP of $359.9 billion by 2023. According to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, Bengaluru is one of the most economically integrated cities in the world and is classified as an alpha city. The city’s varied industrial base, which contributes over one-third of the state’s gross state product, is dependent on manufacturing (36%), services, and agriculture. Bengaluru is home to the country’s fourth-largest market for fast-moving consumer goods. The city also has India’s third-highest number of affluent individuals.

Bengaluru, a major center for information technology (IT), is often cited as one of the world’s technical cities with the quickest growth rates. It is widely regarded as the largest IT hub in the country and the “Silicon Valley of India.” With an estimated $64 billion in IT exports from the city in 2024, the city contributes around one-third of India’s total IT exports. Among the company clusters and special economic zones that make up the city’s IT sector are Electronic City, International Tech Park, Software Technology Park, Bagmane Tech Park, Global Village Tech Park, World Trade Center, and Manyata Embassy company parks.

Water supplies are provided by the Bangalore Water Supplies and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), which was established in 1964. The city receives an average of 800 million gallons of water every day from rainfall. In the 16th century, Kempe Gowda constructed lakes like the Kempambudhi Kere to store the rainwater. The firm supplied 1,450 million liters of the 2100 million liters of water used daily by the city in 2021. The Arkavathy River used to supply the city’s water, but as demands increased, the Cauvery water delivery network was created in 1964. The majority of the city’s water supply came from the Kaver in 1974, and by 2014, it had grown to 1,450 million liters per day.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), established in 1976, is the nodal agency responsible for the planning and development of the city. The BBMP works with the Agenda for Bangalore’s infrastructural and Development Task Force (ABIDe) and the BDA to plan and execute municipal and infrastructural projects in the city. The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority was established in 1985 and is in charge of metropolitan planning. Karnataka’s capital, Raj Bhavan, has the governor’s palace; Vikasa Soudha houses state ministries; and Vidhana Soudha houses the state executive and legislative offices.