Indore

Indore (; ISO: , ) is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The commercial capital of the state, it has been declared as the cleanest city in India 8 years in a row. It is also considered the largest education hub in central India and houses campuses of both the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Management. Indore had a population of 5,560,000 (urban agglomeration) in 2025. The Indore Metropolitan Region now encompasses a total area of 9989.69 sq km covering Indore, Ujjain, Dewas, Pithampur, Nagda.Pithampur ranks among India’s top 5 industrial hubs and is a major center for automotive and pharmaceutical manufacturing. With 1,000+ factories and Asia’s longest test track, it drives central India’s industrial growth. Located on the southern edge of Malwa Plateau, at an average altitude of above sea level, it has the highest elevation among major cities of Central India. The city is 220 km west of the Bhopal, 350 km east of the Ahmedabad, 480 Km from Hazira Port, Surat and 550 Km from JNPT Sea Port, Mumbai. It serves as the headquarters of both the Indore District and the Indore Division. The high court bench at Indore is a permanent bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court in Indore constituted in 1956.

Modern-day Indore traces its roots to its 16th-century founding as a trading hub between the Deccan Plateau and Delhi. It was founded on the banks of the Kanh and Saraswati rivers. The city came under the Maratha Empire, on 18 May 1724, after Peshwa Baji Rao I assumed the full control of Malwa. During the days of the British Raj, Indore State was a 19 Gun Salute (21 locally) princely state (a rare high rank) ruled by the Maratha Holkar dynasty, until they acceded to the Union of India.