Migration and Urban India: Benefits, Challenges, and the Way Forward
Did you know that migration added 283,000 people to Delhi’s population in 2021, more than double the 101,000 number contributed by births, adjusted for deaths, according to an article from the Hindustan Times?
Cities like Delhi and Mumbai have grown into megacities not just due to their local residents, but also because of the hundreds of thousands who have migrated to them over the decades from rural India. Understanding migration also means examining how it contributes to urban culture, reshapes services, and strains housing, and the problems that cities must solve.
What drives rural to urban migration?
Many people leave their hometowns/villages because of limited job opportunities, poor infrastructure, inadequate schools, and unreliable health facilities. Cities promise better pay, steady work, better education and healthcare.
Another reason one might choose to move to a city like Mumbai or Delhi is climate change, such as droughts or floods. Or if they are in the most northern regions, like Jammu and Kashmir and parts of Punjab and Rajasthan, that are affected by the India-Pakistan conflict.
Delhi attracts migrants from states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan. Mumbai draws people from Maharashtra’s rural districts, as well as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat. Cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune have also seen a boom in IT migration, not just Delhi and Mumbai.
Impact on migration in rural india
When people move from their villages to cities, rural communities can face labour shortages and an ageing population. Fewer young people in rural areas/ smaller towns means fewer hands to help in the field or support small businesses. However, many migrants also send money home, which can significantly improve their living standards and open new opportunities in the village.
How Internal migration influences urban culture
Migrants bring their languages, food, clothes, festivals and customs. Nearly 43.02% of the population of Mumbai (including Thane) were recorded as migrants in the 2011 census, primarily blue-collar workers employed in construction and domestic work. This led to daily interactions, more diverse festivals, and more diverse street food.
For instance, Delhi has adopted festivals like Chhath Puja due to the presence of migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, Mumbai’s Ganesh Chaturthi has grown into a nationwide celebration observed by people from all over the country.
However, conflicts may arise, as locals are often averse to migrants, feeling they put a strain on their resources and jobs and alter the character of the place, rather than being welcoming. However, to fit in better, migrants try to adapt as much as possible to the local culture by learning the local language, understanding it, and participating in local events.
According to a report – 400 Million Dreams! The share of migrants in India’s total workforce increased from 8.15% in 2001 to 9.34% in 2011. If this trend continues, the share of migrants in the workforce today would be close to 11% (factoring in COVID, assuming people would migrate back to their villages during that time), indicating that urban migration is becoming an increasingly central part of India’s economy.
Pressure on infrastructure
Because many unskilled migrants cannot afford housing, it leads to the growth and spread of slums in cities. Transport systems become overcrowded, and essential utilities such as water, sewage and electricity become strained. For example, it’s often the case that Mumbai’s public transport and Delhi’s Metro run beyond capacity during peak hours.
Impact on services
Usually, most of these unskilled, informal migrants work in construction, street vending, as taxi/auto drivers, car mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, housekeeping, and as domestic help. But often they do not get full access to services. Public hospitals struggle with the patient loads, and schools face challenges when many children move frequently, making regular attendance hard. Documentation (proof of identity) issues are also a significant reason for the lack of access to government services.
Young and female migrants often face more challenges, such as unsafe living conditions, fewer jobs and barriers to education. For example, around 48% of internal migrants in India are female and many of whom work in low-paying domestic and informal jobs and face social vulnerabilities (exploitation, unsafe working conditions, discrimination, etc) that require support.
Impact on Environment
Migration also affects the environment of cities like Delhi and Mumbai. As more people move into these cities, the demand for housing, transportation and services increases, leading to increased pollution, traffic and waste. Green spaces are often taken over for construction and water and air quality also deteriorate under the strain of rapid growth. There has been a 42.5% decline in Mumbai’s green spaces over the last 30 years!
These challenges show that migration is not only a social and economic issue but also an environmental one. Migrants often adapt by creating informal recycling systems, collecting and sorting waste in ways that support a circular economy and help reduce landfill waste. Community initiatives, like in Bangalore, have migrant farmers revitalising urban gardens and green spaces using their agricultural expertise through the UrbanMali network. In Navi Mumbai, the Earthen Routes urban farm initiative involves migrants in organic food production, restores green spaces, and provides local produce to residents. This demonstrates innovation in managing environmental pressures.
Internal migration is a multi-faceted story
Migration is a primary driver of India’s cities’ continued growth and evolution. People come in hopes of work, education and a better life, and in doing so, they change the shape and character of cities. This movement makes cities more diverse and livelier, but also creates several challenges that can’t be ignored. The real question is not whether people will continue to move (that is a given), but whether these cities can treat migration as a strength by planning better and making room for those who choose to build their future there.
Migrants contribute significantly through economic activities such as construction, domestic work and entrepreneurship, enriching urban culture with diverse food, festivals and languages.
How internal migration helps communities evolve
Successful examples of integration are micro businesses such as textile printing units in Tirupur. The Print interviewed some of these people, such as Vijay Kumar, a migrant from Bihar who began as a textile worker and gradually established his own cloth-printing business, employing around 10 local workers. In Bihar, women’s self-help groups provide school uniforms to local schools, encouraging migrant children to stay in school. The Tata Trusts support migrant resource centres and NGOs that provide legal aid, skill development, and health services to migrants. Cities build resilience by evolving their infrastructure and social systems to accommodate a growing population.
Indian migration trend
According to a recent report by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the total number of internal migrants has decreased from nearly 11% in 2011, with the migration rate dropping from nearly 38% to about 20% in 2023. This decline reflects improved economic opportunities and infrastructure in many rural and smaller urban areas, reducing the need for migration.
Building more acceptance
Student-friendly ideas to support this integration could include awareness campaigns celebrating cultural diversity, youth peer support groups for migrants, and local language classes in communities to ease the challenges of adaptation.
The government launched essential programs such as the Smart Cities Mission, affordable housing initiatives, Skill India training, and slum redevelopment projects, such as the Dharavi redevelopment. More student-friendly solutions could include community centres for migrants to meet and get support, schools that move to where migrant children work and classes to teach local languages so everyone can get along better.
The cities in India should evolve not just to accommodate migration but also to celebrate it. Internal migration is not a problem to solve; it is a potential to harness.
Maya Malhotra
Grade 10, Mahindra International School, Pune
About our Writing Program Student
Maya is a 10th-grade student studying at Mahindra International School, Pune. She is passionate about literature, music and creative expression. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music and playing the piano, which helps her balance her academics and creativity.
References:
Hindustan Times: Migration added more to Delhi’s population than births
Indian Express: Census data about Migration to mumbai
Bihar plans financial inclusion of rural women by scaling up Jeevika
Bihar migrants are the new business bosses
Decline in Mumbai’s green coverage
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