Bangalore is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore has an estimated metropolitan population of 65 lakh (6.5 million), making it India’s third most populous city and fifth-largest metropolitan area.

Though historically attested at least since 900 CE, recorded history of the city starts from 1537, when Kempe Gowda I, widely regarded as the founder of modern Bangalore, built a mud fort and established it as a province of the Vijayanagara Empire. During the British Raj, Bangalore developed as a centre for colonial rule in South India. The establishment of the Bangalore Cantonment brought in large numbers of migrants from other parts of the country. Since independence in 1947, Bangalore grew to become the capital of Karnataka state. Today, as a large and growing metropolis in the developing world, Bangalore continues to struggle with problems such as air pollution, traffic congestion, and crime. Home to some of the well-recognized colleges and research institutions in India, the city has the second-highest literacy rate among the metropolitan cities in the nation.

It is home to numerous public sector heavy industries, software companies, aerospace, telecommunications, machine tools, heavy equipment, and defence establishments. Bangalore is referred to as the Silicon Valley of India due to its pre-eminent position as the leading contributor to India’s IT industry. Bangalore has developed into one of India’s major economic hubs and was rated by CNN as the “best place to do business” in the world.