Visible shift northern & Eastern districts power India’s growth path

Mumbai: India’s economic expansion is increasingly spreading beyond its largest metropolitan centres, with a clutch of districts in northern and eastern states emerging as new engines of activity even as established metros retain their dominance.

This shift is visible in real-time, satellite-based urban intelligence tracking economic activity across more than 700 districts, showed the City Vitality Index (CVI), Q1 2026 released by Dun & Bradstreet.

The index leverages Earth Observation data to provide a granular, high-frequency view of urban vitality.

Ahmedabad retained the top spot in the overall rankings, while Bengaluru slipped to second. Delhi climbed to third, marking one of the strongest upward moves among major metros. Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai saw modest declines but remained within the top 10.

Among Class-Y emerging districts, North 24 Parganas held the first position, followed by Thane and Jaipur, signalling stable leadership among rising urban centres.

“What stands out this quarter is the sharp upward mobility across several northern and eastern districts,” said Arun Singh, global chief economist, Dun & Bradstreet. “Cities such as Gurugram, Hooghly, Moradabad, Samastipur and Madhubani have posted some of the strongest rank improvements, while Gonda’s 20-place surge to overall rank 13 signals how infrastructure, agriculture and connectivity are reshaping local economies. These shifts indicate the rise of new growth poles beyond conventional urban centres.”

Gurugram jumped 34 places, while Hooghly and Moradabad rose 20 ranks each.