Chennai vs Pune

Pune leads Chennai by 1 points on the AFTER Index, 56 to 55. Chennai grades better on 3 measures, Pune on 6; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• AFTER Index: Chennai 55, Pune 56
• OECD: Chennai 54, Pune 58
• UN Tourism: Chennai 58, Pune 60
• UNDRR: Chennai 41, Pune 48

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Chennai 71, Pune 71
• Economy and jobs: Chennai 63, Pune 81
• Climate and hazards: Chennai 20, Pune 25
• Water and environment: Chennai 50, Pune 50
• Community and housing: Chennai 75, Pune 63
• Access and continuity: Chennai 55, Pune 58

Where Chennai is stronger

• Wastewater safely treated: 88.2 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (metro figure) (DT Next / Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), 2024). Between 85 and 95: grade 3/4.
• Rent growth: 8 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Knight Frank, India Real Estate (Jan-March 2026), Q1 2026). Between 6 and 10: grade 2/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Chennai Port Authority / Southern Railway / AAI / NHAI, 2024–2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.

Where Pune is stronger

• Income per head: 15,659 GDP per capita, USD PPP (region figure) (Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Planning Department, Government of Maharashtra, Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2024-25 & World Bank, 2023-24). Between 15,000 and 30,000: grade 1/4.
• Economic diversity: 81.3 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (country figure) (Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, Annual Report, PLFS, 2025, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Water scarcity: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4.
• Green space: 11.2 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Pune Municipal Corporation / Urban Acres, 2025–2026). Between 10 and 20: grade 1/4.
• Air traffic recovery: 127.9 % of the same 12 months of 2019, airport passengers (DGCA traffic statistics (via india-aviation-traffic, ODbL), TTM Jul 2025 – Jun 2026). At or above 110: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• India: #31 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• India: #31 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Chennai in full · Pune in full

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