The UN estimates that more than half of the world's population lives in urban regions. Around the world, 7 out of 10 people are predicted to live in metropolitan areas by 2050. According to the World Bank, when handled properly, urbanization can create opportunities for a better life, provide a pathway out of poverty, and act as an engine of economic growth. Even at 31% urbanization, cities in India have a massive deficit in infrastructure and service delivery. We risk exacerbating this deficit further due to the exponential population growth, with significant adverse impacts on the urban poor and other marginalized groups, if we do not address the infrastructure and service delivery problems existing already. While urbanization is moving the global economy forward, rising inequality and exclusion within cities can derail the development progress. So the focus of this special issue is to investigate how various aspects of the city economy and governance can be made conducive for India’s social and economic development.