Which is the greenest city in India? Mysore (Mysuru) and Chandigarh top most rankings of India’s greenest cities — Mysore for its heritage gardens and long-running Green City project, and Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh for a planned urban forest that keeps roughly half the city under green cover. Gandhinagar, the “Tree Capital of India” with about 416 trees per 100 residents, Bangalore’s garden legacy, and solar-powered Diu round out the leaders.
| City | Why it ranks among India’s greenest (2026) |
|---|---|
| Mysore | Heritage gardens, tree-lined boulevards, Green City project; Super Swachh League city (2024–25) |
| Chandigarh | Le Corbusier’s planned “City Beautiful” — reported ≈50% green cover; Super Swachh League city |
| Bangalore | The original “Garden City” — Lalbagh, Cubbon Park and lake restoration alongside its IT growth |
| New Delhi | Lutyens’ green belts and city forests; NDMC area a Super Swachh League city |
| Dehradun | Doon Valley setting between forested Himalayan foothills |
| Bhopal | City of lakes; 7-star garbage-free rating (2024) |
| Diu | India’s first city to run fully on solar power during the day |
| Gandhinagar | “Tree Capital of India” — ≈416 trees per 100 residents; Super Swachh League city |
| Jamshedpur | Planned industrial city with strong parks and waste-management record |
| Shimla | Himalayan hill capital wrapped in deodar and pine forest |
Here is a list of the greenest cities in India, that have preserved their nature mutually alongside the urban landscapes in India. The word “greenest cities” can also be interpreted as the most sustainable cities – they are curbing pollution as much as possible by using renewable energy resources. Unchecked urbanism has led to our cities forming a concrete jungle, which has consequently resulted in rampant pollution. We see traffic and mighty buildings everywhere. For the town folks, the traffic-filled environment isn’t a brand-new thing. However, some places have balanced the urbanization and tried to protect the green pastures. Lets check out the list of green cities here:
1. Mysore | Greenest Cities in India
Mysore is India’s 1st and most greenest city in India, even though it is the third highest populated city in Karnataka. Swachh Bharat Urban felicitated and classified Mysore as the greenest city of India. Mysore is the 2nd largest city (by area) in Karnataka and due to its cultural heritage and strategic location, it is one of the best-planned cities.
2. Chandigarh
Chandigarh is one of the first planned cities of India. The urban infrastructure, in conjunction with the protected greenery, makes it one of the top greenest cities in India. Chandigarh is located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas and is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana; it has a forest and tree cover of 35.5 percent in its 114-sq km area, according to the Forest Department of India.
3. Bangalore | Greenest City in India
Bangalore or Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka, and is also known as “The Garden City”. This fast-growing city has a pleasant climate, scenic gardens, parks, and natural lakes. As of date, the city has around 333 green buildings and a total of 227.92 million sqm of green space that is certified by the IGBC -a wing of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). It is the Silicon Valley of India, because of its position as the significant leading IT hub in the country.
4. New Delhi
Despite being one of the most polluted (poor air quality) cities of the world, it is also one of India’s greenest cities with 7% of its geographical area under tree cover. The lush green of Lutyens’s Delhi comprises a mix of Amaltas, Gulmohar, Jacaranda, Milletia, Jamun, Amla, Aam, Bahera, and many more. Planting of trees, improvement in infrastructure, and implementation of strict laws have helped the capital city stay clean and green. The clean energy revolution through CNG; an aggressive plantation drive that boasts a green cover span on over 20% of the city; entire Public Transport running on CNG; and more than 20,000 parks, bear witness to the fact that Delhi has addressed environmental challenges to earn its ‘Green’ stature.
5. Dehradun
Dehradun is also one of the cleanest cities in India and rates high on the “greenery scale”. Besides being located in the Himalayas, this city is also famous for its verdure mountains and waterfalls. It is one of the highest rain-receiving cities, in northern India and residence of prestigious institutions, for example, the Indian Military Academy. The beautiful valley is additionally a famous educational hub.
6. Bhopal | Greenest Cities in India
In 1984, a massive chemical leak from a pesticide factory left Bhopal’s soil and water toxic and killed nearly 4,000 people. The damage scarred the city’s memory. Bhopal is now one of the greenest cities of India and has been largely successful in its attempt to re-establish its image. It is not just a prominent urban center; Bhopal has preserved its forest heritage and has also developed itself as a commercial center. The results are due to a mix of environmental awareness, implementation of laws, and the dedication of the citizens of Bhopal to improving the city.
7. Diu
The Diu Smart City has become the first city in India that runs on 100 percent renewable energy during the daytime, setting a benchmark for other cities to follow. The city has developed a 9-MW solar park covering over 50 hectares of rocky barren land, besides installing solar panels on the rooftops on 79 government buildings which generate 1.3 MW annually, as per the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
8. Gandhinagar
The capital of Gujarat, Gandhinagar has claimed to be one of the best-planned cities in India. This state capital is on the banks of the Sabarmati river. While increasing urban development, Gandhinagar has protected the greenery. With about 32 lakh trees with just a population of 1.5 lakh, Gujarat’s capital city has about 22 trees per person.
9. Jamshedpur | Greenest City in India
Despite being majorly industrialized, Jamshedpur has managed to be the 15th cleanest city in India. The city falls under deciduous forest covers, which makes 33% of its total land “green cover”. Tata Steel’s commitment to “cleaner and greener Jamshedpur” is visible through incessant tree plantation drives, which enhances the green carpet continuously. The city has numerous parks, playgrounds, and tree-lined streets. The most well-known testament to Jamshedji’s vision of a green city is, of course, the Jubilee Park, spread over an area of 37.75 acres and dotted with flowerbeds and illuminated fountains.
10. Shimla
Shimla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh and is probably the most popular hill station in Northern India. Set amidst beautiful hills and mystical woods, Shimla is one of the aesthetically planned cities of India. The colonial architecture, churches, temples, and natural beauty of the city will leave you spellbound. Shimla is home to trees such as pine, deodar, oak, and rhododendron. Ridge, an open-wide street with an exclusive panoramic view of the mountains, makes it one of the favorite tourist spots. Because of its rich flora and fauna, Shimla is also known as the ‘Queen of Hills”. Shimla has become a part of “Green Growth Cities” as the municipal corporation launched the ambitious project to identify and develop applications and solutions to support the concept of green growth through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
India’s Greenest Cities in 2026: What the Data Says
India’s national green account is growing slowly: the Forest Survey of India’s latest assessment puts the country’s combined forest and tree cover at just over a quarter of its geographical area, and the cities on this list are the urban face of that effort. The freshest civic benchmark is Swachh Survekshan 2024–25, whose awards (conferred in July 2025) introduced a “Super Swachh League” for consistently top-performing cities — Indore, Surat and Navi Mumbai among the million-plus cities, with Chandigarh, Mysuru and Gandhinagar leading the big-city tier, and Bhopal among the twelve 7-star garbage-free cities.
Cleanliness and greenness are cousins, not twins: Indore’s record eighth consecutive title makes it India’s cleanest city, while the greenest crowns still belong to the canopy leaders — Chandigarh’s sector greens, Gandhinagar’s tree density and Mysore’s garden heritage — and to renewable pioneers like Diu, whose daytime demand is met entirely by solar farms.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Greenest Cities in India
Which is the greenest city in India?
Mysore and Chandigarh are most often cited as India’s greenest cities — Mysore for its gardens and Green City project, Chandigarh for its planned layout with roughly half the city under green cover. Gandhinagar, with about 416 trees per 100 residents, is called the Tree Capital of India.
Which Indian city has the highest green cover?
Chandigarh is reported to keep around 50% of its area green, among the highest of any Indian city, while Gandhinagar leads on urban tree density. Hill cities like Shimla and Dehradun sit inside forested landscapes that push their effective cover even higher.
Is the greenest city the same as the cleanest city?
No. Cleanliness is measured by Swachh Survekshan, where Indore has won a record eight consecutive titles and now anchors the Super Swachh League; greenness is about tree canopy, parks and green cover, where Mysore, Chandigarh and Gandhinagar lead.
Which was India’s first planned green city?
Chandigarh, master-planned by Le Corbusier in the 1950s, was India’s first modern planned city and embedded green belts into every sector; Gandhinagar followed in the 1960s with an even denser urban forest.
Which Indian city runs on solar power?
Diu became the first Indian city to run fully on solar energy during daytime hours, generating more power than it consumes from its solar parks. For more on India’s built environment, see the architectural secrets of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple or the biggest cricket stadiums in the world.
Sources for the 2026 update
GeoSquare, “Top 10 Greenest Cities in India 2025” (2025). Wikipedia, “Swachh Survekshan” (2026). News On Air, “President Murmu to confer Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 awards in New Delhi” (2025). Forest Survey of India, “India State of Forest Report 2023” (2024).
References-
Point 1- india.com/photos/travel/top-9-greenest-cities-of-india-131711/mysore-131721/
Point 2- hindustantimes.com/india/chandigarh-is-india-s-greenest-city/story-cHiKyTJ67p9VMhn27fNSFL.html
Point 3- walkthroughindia.com/lifestyle/top-10-green-cities-of-india/, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Bengaluru-is-the-third-most-green-city-in-India-Report/articleshow/51609265.cms
Point 4- thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/delhi-one-of-the-countrys-most-polluted-cities-is-also-among-its-greenest/article24298773.ece, businesswireindia.com/delhi-has-emerged-as-one-of-the-greenest-capital-cities-in-the-world-37489.html
Point 5- india.com/photos/travel/top-9-greenest-cities-of-india-131711/dehradun-131717/
Point 6- govinsider.asia/smart-gov/bhopal-smart-city-green-chandramauli-shukla/
Point 7- energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/renewable/diu-smart-city-first-in-india-to-run-on-100-pc-renewable-energy-during-daytime-official/63889099
Point 8- charrcha.com/detail/gandhinagar-the-greenest-capital-city-in-whole-asia
Point 9- jamshedpurlive.net/discover-jamshedpur/factfile/a-model-township.aspx
Point 10- travel.siliconindia.com/travel-article/Shimla-The-Green-Growth-City-aid-4356.html
