A metropolitan area generally refers to a region consisting of a populous dense, urban core and outlying low-dense surrounding territories, both of which are socio-economically connected by industry (downtown businesses, factories, research parks), infrastructure (highway, rail), and housing (single-family housing, apartments, condos).^[1] A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities including neighborhoods, townships, cities, suburbs, exurbs, counties, and even states. Due to the global change in institutional arrangements, metropolitan areas have become key geographic, economic, and political regions.^[2] Thus, metropolitan areas carry an economic dimension as in ametropolitan economy and political dimension as in metropolitan governance.

In India, the Census Commission defines a metropolitan city one having a population of over 4 million.^[9] Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata,Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Nashik and Surat^[10] are the ten cities that qualify. Residents of these cities are also entitled to a higher House rent allowance. The figure only applies to the city region and not the conurbation.