Urbanisation and the Effects of Globalisation on Indian Society

Two forces reshaping Indian society

The syllabus asks about "urbanisation, their problems and their remedies" and the "effects of globalisation on Indian society". The two are linked: globalisation since 1991 speeded up the growth of cities, services and the middle class, and cities are where its effects on family, culture, work and consumption are most visible. Both topics demand balanced answers that show gains and costs.

Urbanisation: the numbers

Census 2011 counted 37.7 crore urban people (31.1 per cent), up from 17 per cent in 1951; the share is now estimated at about 36 per cent and may cross 40 per cent by 2036. The Census defines an urban area as either a statutory town (with a municipality, corporation or cantonment) or a census town meeting three tests: population of at least 5,000, density of at least 400 per sq km, and at least 75 per cent of male workers in non-farm work. The number of census towns jumped from 1,362 in 2001 to 3,894 in 2011, showing "hidden urbanisation" – many places are urban in character but are still governed as villages.

• Most urbanised large states: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat; Goa has the highest urban share among states.
• Least urbanised: Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Odisha.
• India had 53 million-plus cities in 2011; Greater Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata are the largest urban agglomerations.
• World Bank studies point to "messy and hidden" urbanisation: sprawl at the edges of cities, large informal settlements and weak planning.

Drivers of urbanisation

• Pull factors: jobs in industry and services, higher wages, education, health care, and the lure of city life.
• Push factors: agrarian distress, small landholdings, lack of rural jobs, caste oppression and disasters.
• Natural increase in existing cities and reclassification of villages as towns now contribute more to urban growth than migration does.
• Policy: economic reforms, SEZs, IT hubs and industrial corridors.

Problems of urbanisation

Remedies and missions

• Planning: master plans, transit-oriented development, protection of wetlands and drains, and regional planning for city-regions.
• Housing: PMAY-Urban (over 1 crore houses sanctioned) and PMAY-U 2.0 (2024); affordable rental housing complexes for migrants; in-situ slum redevelopment.
• Services: AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0 for water supply and sewerage; Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 for garbage-free cities; the National Clean Air Programme (2019) for 130+ cities.
• Smart Cities Mission (2015) in 100 cities, using technology for traffic, services and governance (formally closed in March 2025).
• Mobility: metro rail in about 20+ cities, PM e-Bus Sewa, cycling and walking infrastructure.
• Governance: stronger municipal finances (property tax reform, municipal bonds – Pune, Indore, Ghaziabad), directly elected mayors with longer terms, and capacity building.
• Balanced development: growth of small and medium towns and rurban clusters under the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission to reduce pressure on metros.

Globalisation: meaning

Globalisation is the growing integration of economies, cultures and societies through trade, investment, technology, migration and the media. In India it is associated with the 1991 reforms (liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation – LPG), followed by the IT revolution and the spread of the internet and smartphones.

Positive effects on Indian society

• Economic opportunity: faster growth, IT and services jobs, a large middle class, and more consumer choice.
• Women: new jobs in IT, BPO, retail and garments; greater exposure to ideas of equality and independence.
• Communication and culture: satellite TV, the internet and social media connect people; Indian culture also spreads abroad – yoga (International Yoga Day since 2015), Bollywood, cuisine and the Indian diaspora (the largest in the world, about 3.5 crore).
• Weakening of caste and tradition in urban workplaces; more inter-caste and love marriages.
• Access to global knowledge, health technologies and education.

Negative effects and concerns

• Inequality: gains concentrated among the educated and urban; rural and informal workers have benefited less.
• Pressure on farmers and artisans: competition from imports and price volatility; decline of some traditional crafts.
• Family changes: shift from joint to nuclear families, rising loneliness of the elderly, and stress from long working hours.
• Consumerism and cultural homogenisation: fears of "McDonaldisation" (George Ritzer) – standardised global brands and lifestyles crowding out local cultures and languages.
• Informalisation and insecurity: contract labour and gig work with weak protection.
• Environmental cost: rising consumption, e-waste and pollution.

Glocalisation and the Indian response

Indian society has not simply copied the West. Sociologists describe glocalisation – the blending of global and local forms – such as global fast-food chains selling vegetarian menus, international music fused with Indian styles, and festivals turned into global events through the diaspora. There have also been cultural revivals, as people reassert local identity in response to global influences, and a rise of identity politics. Since the 2020s, global supply-chain shifts, digital public infrastructure such as UPI and Aadhaar (now offered to other countries), and India's role in forums like the G20 show a two-way globalisation in which India is a shaper, not just a receiver.

Cities and social change

Cities change how people relate to each other. Classical sociologists such as Louis Wirth described urbanism as "a way of life" marked by size, density and diversity, which leads to anonymous, impersonal and specialised relationships. In India the picture is mixed. Caste is less visible in offices, metros and restaurants, and inter-caste friendships and marriages are more common, but caste and religion still shape housing markets, matrimonial choices and the formation of segregated neighbourhoods. Migrants often re-create village and regional networks in cities, which give them jobs and support but can also become the base of sons-of-the-soil politics against "outsiders".

Urban life also creates new social groups: a large service-sector middle class, gig workers on food-delivery and ride-hailing platforms, and a growing population of single working women and elderly people living alone. Gated communities sit next to slums, making inequality highly visible. Planners now speak of the "right to the city" – the idea that all residents, including migrants and the poor, should share in urban space, services and decision-making – and of inclusive cities with affordable housing near jobs, safe public transport and public spaces open to all.

Mains practice question

Discuss the impact of globalisation on Indian society, particularly on the family, women and culture. Is the fear of cultural homogenisation justified? (250 words)

Answer framework

• Intro: 1991 LPG, internet era.
• Family: nuclearisation, care of elderly, changing marriage norms.
• Women: jobs, independence, but double burden and safety concerns.
• Culture: consumerism, McDonaldisation vs glocalisation, diaspora soft power.
• Conclusion: selective adaptation; Indian culture is resilient.