India, April 21 -- After Independence, urbanisation was dovetailed with industrialisation. As a result, cities continued to remain isolated centres of economic activity, with weak linkages to the hinterlands, and failed to optimally utilise the natural and human resources of the region they were located in. Cities were unable to expand and assume economic functions, transcending regional boundaries. In contrast, nations where urbanisation drove growth by expanding the economic base and productivity of cities saw rapid industry-led growth.

In the Indian context, there has been some change after the liberalisation of the 1990s. Cities have spurred growth in surrounding settlements, creating urban agglomerations or city-regions. This has in...