What is the capital of India?
New Delhi is the capital of India. It was built by the British as the capital of British India and inaugurated in 1931, replacing Calcutta, now Kolkata.
King George V announced the move from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker designed New Delhi with wide avenues and grand government buildings, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, now the official residence of India's president, and the India Gate war memorial.
New Delhi is part of the larger National Capital Territory of Delhi, which also includes Old Delhi, with historic sites such as the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid built by the Mughal Empire. The wider Delhi region is one of the most populous urban areas in the world.
The largest city
Mumbai is India's financial center and home to the Bollywood film industry. Other major cities include Kolkata, Bengaluru, a technology hub, and Chennai.
New Delhi was designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and officially inaugurated in 1931. Its wide avenues lead to grand buildings such as Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president's residence, and India Gate, a war memorial. Nearby Old Delhi is home to the Red Fort and Jama Masjid, built during the Mughal era in the 1600s.
Did You Know?
Delhi has been the capital of many empires over the centuries, including the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire.