Bengaluru and Chennai have retained their positions as the top cities in India for women’s safety and inclusivity, according to the fourth edition of the Top Cities for Women in India (TCWI) report by
Avtar Group. The year-long study ranks 125 cities based on women’s participation, safety, and career growth. It highlights cities that show strong practices and progress in creating inclusive environments for women.
The report uses a City Inclusion Score (CIS), which combines social inclusion factors such as safety, infrastructure, and access to health and education, with industrial inclusion factors like job opportunities, inclusive workplaces, and support for women entrepreneurs. Bengaluru topped the list with a CIS of 53.29, followed by Chennai with a score of 49.86.
Changes in city rankings
Bengaluru and Chennai held the top two spots in both 2024 and 2025. In 2024, Mumbai ranked third, followed by Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Gurugram and Coimbatore. In 2025, Pune moved up to third place, while Mumbai dropped to fifth. Hyderabad remained fourth. Gurugram rose to sixth place, while Kolkata and Ahmedabad slipped to seventh and eighth. Delhi fell out of the top ten, and Trivandrum entered the list at ninth place. Coimbatore stayed at tenth.
While Bengaluru continues to perform strongly in industrial inclusion and career opportunities, it ranked third in social inclusion. Chennai led in social inclusion, standing out for safety measures, public services, transport, and access to health and education. However, it ranked third in industrial inclusion. Pune, Hyderabad and Mumbai completed the top five with CIS scores of 46.27, 46.04 and 44.49 respectively.
Delhi dropped to eleventh place, marking the first time it has fallen out of the top ten. In contrast, Gurugram climbed to sixth place, showing steady improvement compared to earlier years when it ranked outside the top 20.
Regional and state performance
Tamil Nadu emerged as one of the most inclusive states for women, with seven cities in the top 25, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Thiruchirapalli, Madurai, Salem, Vellore and Erode. Overall, southern India performed best, recording the highest average CIS of 21.60. Central and eastern regions lagged behind on both social and industrial inclusion.
Avtar Group Managing Director Saundarya Rajesh said cities must offer more than jobs to support women. She stressed the need for safe mobility, career growth, caregiving support and a balanced quality of life. She added that while progress has been made, only the top five cities crossed the CIS pass mark, showing that much more work remains.
