Section Article

Urbanization and Social Exclusion: A Study of Slum Dwellers in Mega Cities
Author(s): Geeta Rani

Abstract
Urbanization has emerged as one of the defining socio-economic transformations of modern India reshaping the country’s demographic structure economic orientation and spatial organization. As India approached 2024 its mega cities—such as Mumbai Delhi Kolkata Chennai Bengaluru and Hyderabad—became spaces of intense economic opportunity as well as profound inequality. Rapid urban expansion migration-driven population growth and the commodification of urban land have contributed to the expansion of slum settlements where millions of residents face social exclusion economic marginalization and structural vulnerabilities. This study examines the multi-dimensional relationship between urbanization and social exclusion focusing on the lived experiences survival strategies and socio-political challenges of slum dwellers in India’s mega cities. It analyzes how unequal access to housing sanitation healthcare education employment mobility and political representation creates systemic disadvantages that reproduce cycles of poverty and marginality. While urban development projects promise modernization and global competitiveness their implementation often displaces poorer communities and restricts their access to essential services. The paper argues that slum dwellers represent an integral yet overlooked component of urban economies contributing significantly to labor markets informal industries service networks and urban consumption systems. By mapping the processes of exclusion dispossession and resilience this research highlights the urgent need for inclusive urban planning participatory governance equitable resource distribution and rights-based approaches to housing and citizenship. The study situates slum dwellers not merely as victims of urban inequality but as active agents who negotiate adapt and contribute to the evolving socio-economic fabric of Indian mega cities.