Singrauli, India

Capital City

This gritty coal town is no tourist destination. With a population of 220,257, Singrauli is a hub of heavy industry and thermal power plants that make it the "energy source of India." The average literacy rate is a respectable 75.51%, but bureaucracy is a persistent headache - the municipal corporation is the second-richest in Madhya Pradesh. If you can stomach the coal dust and don't mind a bit of red tape, Singrauli might work for you. But for most, this industrial powerhouse is best avoided.