Angul, India

Capital City

Angul is a nondescript industrial hub with a population of just 44,390. The steel plant operated by Jindal Steel and Power Limited may be the largest in India, but life here is hardly glamorous. The literacy rate of 77.53% is slightly above the national average, but the workforce is heavily male-dominated at 55%. One persistent headache is the city's bureaucracy, with a history of political dynasties controlling the local assembly seat. And while Angul has been ranked the 6th best "National Clean Air City", the climate can still be a slog, with an average elevation of 195 meters. This is a city for hardcore industrialists and civil servants, not those seeking an easy, comfortable expat life.