Ludhiana is the largest city of the Indian state of Punjab and 28th largest urban agglomeration in India. The city has an area of 159 km² and an estimated population of 1,618,879 as of the 2011 census. The city stands on the old bank of Sutlej River, that is now 13 kilometres to the south of its present course. It is an industrial center of northern India, often referred to as Indian Manchester by BBC. Ludhiana is among the list of smart cities that will be developed by government of India and has been ranked as the easiest city in India for business according to the World Bank.
Ludhiana is 107 kilometres west of the state capital, Chandigarh, and is centrally located on National Highway 44, which runs from New Delhi to Amritsar. It is 315 km north of Delhi and 142 km southeast of Amritsar.