Major Cities of Punjab, India

Punjab (India) has 23 districts (Malerkotla added 2021) and numerous municipal corporations/councils. Key cities:

Municipal Corporations (Population >300k)

1. Ludhiana — 1.6M (metro); industrial hub (textiles, auto parts, bicycles, hosiery); "Manchester of India."
2. Amritsar — 1.2M (metro); Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), Wagah Border, heritage tourism.
3. Jalandhar — 870k (metro); sports goods, surgical instruments, leather, NRI remittances, Doordarshan Kendra.
4. Patiala — 450k; royal heritage (Qila Mubarak, Sheesh Mahal), education (Punjabi Univ, Thapar), Punjabi culture.
5. Bathinda — 350k; thermal plants, AIIMS, Central Univ, historic forts (Qila Mubarak), cotton belt.

Other Significant Cities

• Mohali (SAS Nagar) — IT/pharma hub, Chandigarh Tricity, PCA Stadium, IISER.
• Chandigarh — UT capital (shared with Haryana); planned city (Le Corbusier), High Court, PGI, Rock Garden.
• Pathankot — Gateway to J&K/Himachal; defense cantonment, rail junction.
• Hoshiarpur — Horticulture (kinnow, mango), wood inlay, Dholbaha Dam.
• Kapurthala — "Paris of Punjab" (Moorish architecture: Jagatjit Palace, Elysee Palace), rail coach factory.
• Firozpur — Border town, Hussainiwala memorial, historic sarai.
• Moga — Nestlé plant, agriculture (wheat, rice), diaspora hub.
• Barnala — Textiles, agriculture market.
• Malerkotla — Newest district (2021); Muslim-majority heritage, Sufi shrines, badge-making.

Note: "City" definitions vary (municipal corporation vs. census town). Above are the most prominent urban centers.