India has been witnessing rapid urbanization in the last decade, particularly in its large and medium-size cities. A survey by UN State of the World Population report projected that, by 2030, nearly 41% of India’s population is expected to reside in urban areas. Thus, it is imperative to build an understanding of how cities are geared in terms of growth and inclusion or segregation.

Urbanization contributing towards integration and inclusion:

• Cities currently contribute a mammoth 70 percent to India's GDP, thereby are the centers of economic growth.
• For societies like India, where the layers of caste and hierarchy often serve as obstacles for individual progress in rural regions, cities offer opportunities for upward mobility and assimilation.
• Cities provide economic opportunities to women to break the traditional social exclusion.
• Cities provide anonymity to their inhabitants, thus challenging the imposition of caste -based exclusion.

Urbanization causing social exclusion:

• Due to haphazard growth of Indian cities, the economically marginalized and socially excluded sections come to be concentrated in slums, where supply of basic services is poor. Slums represent 17% of urban households, as per 2011 census. This phenomenon is contributing to widening economic, social, educational, health and other inequalities
• Residential segregation by religion — particularly in the case of Muslims — is a growing phenomenon in a few large and medium cities, as per some.
• Migrant workers face exclusion mostly from lack of access to financial services, due to lack of adequate identity documents.
• There have been arguments related to self-exclusion by the urban middle class in India. For example, gated communities. So, it has been argued that there is spatial segregation on socio - economic lines in many Indian cities.

Far from being a “melting pot” and harbingers of social mobility, the cities increasingly resemble their rural counterparts.

Steps to ensure truly inclusive urban spaces:

• Capacity of urban governance institutions should be developed and expanded, keeping pace with urbanization of population.
• City planning should be pro-active, and genuinely decentralized.
• Identity problem for migrants can be resolved via universalization of Aadhaar.
• Subsidized redevelopment of slums to provide affordable houses for all must be the primary focus of the government.
• Health and sanitation need focused attention for sustainable growth and inclusion.