Article 280 of Indian Constitution mandates the President to establish a Finance Commission (FC) every five years for advising on revenue sharing between centre, states and cities. Smaller cities under one million population rely heavily on FC grants due to limited revenue and weak infrastructure. Performance-linked funding for these cities rose from nil in earlier FCs to 60% under the 15th FC. However, past FCs have not appropriately estimated the needs and capacities of sma

Small cities aren’t just smaller versions of metros, but distinct ecosystems deserving targeted recognition and interventions.