According to the CTBUH tall-building standard (150m+), CBRE’s report in 2023 finds that Mumbai alone hosts ~77% of India’s tall towers, making it the country’s undisputed vertical capital.
And with relentless redevelopment, cluster transformations, and premium high-rises rising across the city, Mumbai’s vertical lead is only expected to widen further.
But while Mumbai remains far ahead today, the rest of India is quietly building up.
Not to dethrone Mumbai, but to build their own skylines.
Hyderabad - The Rising Contender
Already ranks 2nd in India for tall buildings. Thanks to liberal FSI norms which earlier sparked the high-rise wave around Gachibowli, Kokapet, Financial District & beyond.
Recent launches continue to fuel the vertical growth unlike any other city except Mumbai, driven by IT demand, premium housing appetite & infrastructure build-out. When completed, Hyderabad could see high number of denser corridors of tall clusters rather than isolated spikes.
NCR - The Multi-Node Skyline
Noida already holds the highest share of skyscrapers within NCR, and now with recent policy changes wrt FSI relaxations, it is set to unlock taller residential & commercial blocks along expressway corridors and emerging CBD/mixed-use pockets.
Gurgaon meanwhile has seen multiple luxury high-rise launches in recent years and may even surpass Noida in count as the cycle matures.
Delhi on the other hand have started building up on its new TOD policy and may add some iconic towers to the very grounded city ;)
Unlike Mumbai or Hyderabad, NCR’s skyline evolution will be multi-centered, more corridors than clusters.
Bengaluru - Horizontal Past, Vertical Future
Bengaluru grew outward for decades… villa belts, plotted layouts and mid-rise apartments defined its urban form.
But things are shifting. With FAR relaxations, metro expansion, IT corridor densification and redevelopment gaining traction, high-rise feasibility is improving. The skyline here won’t explode overnight, but expect pockets of vertical growth in newer areas and transit corridors.
Pune - Rising Skyward with Stability
Unlike Bengaluru’s historically horizontal sprawl, Pune adopted mid/high-rise living much earlier.
Its vertical rise has been steady, premium-led and township-driven, not flashy but consistent and continue to drive by IT demand, young workforce migration and lifestyle-focused projects.
Kolkata, Chennai & Others - Selective Verticality
Tall icons may rise, but high-rise culture will remain selective and controlled, shaped by legacy land-use patterns, economics and infrastructure capacity.
