KOLKATA
Rank: 7th in India; 49th in Asia
Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal and is the second largest city by area in India, after Mumbai.
It is located in eastern India on the east bank of the River Hooghly. Its population, including that of the suburbs, exceeds 15 million.
The city is the main business, commercial and financial hub of eastern India and the northeastern states. It is home to the Calcutta Stock Exchange India's second-largest bourse.
State and federal government employees make up a large part of the city's workforce.
Some reputed companies are headquartered here. Of them, Bata India, ITC Limited, Birla Corporation, Domodar Valley Corporation deserve special mention. Opening of the Nathu La in Sikkim as a trade route has put Kolkata in an advantageous position. Like its many other metropolitan cousins, Kolkata suffered from economic stagnation in post-independence India.
However, since 2000, the city has witnessed an economic rejuvenation, thanks to the development of IT industry in Rajarhat in Greater Kolkata. The city's IT sector is growing at 70 per cent yearly -- twice that of the national average.
The city has seen a surge of investments in the housing infrastructure sector. Several new projects have come up in recent times.
Like other metropolitan cities of India, Kolkata continues to struggle with problems like poverty, pollution and traffic congestion.
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