History of Pune in Timeline

Pune is a city located on the Deccan Plateau in the state of Maharashtra, India. It serves as the administrative headquarters for both the Pune district and Pune division. Pune is the largest city in Maharashtra by area and the seventh-most populous metropolitan area in India. As a major IT, automobile, and manufacturing hub, Pune is a significant economic center. It is also known as the "Oxford of the East" due to its numerous educational institutions and is consistently ranked as one of the most liveable cities in India.

1910: Agitation Center

In the period between 1875 and 1910, Pune was a centre of agitation led by Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

1942: Gandhi's Imprisonment

In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned at the Yerwada Central Jail and placed under house arrest at the Aga Khan Palace.

1944: Deaths at Aga Khan Palace

In 1944, while under house arrest at the Aga Khan Palace, Mahatma Gandhi's wife Kasturba Gandhi and aide Mahadev Desai died.

1947: Indian Independence

After Indian independence from the British in 1947, Pune experienced significant growth and transformed into a modern metropolis.

1947: Sindhi Settlement

In 1947, Sindhis, mostly refugees, settled in the Pimpri area after the partition of India.

1949: Establishment of University of Pune

In 1949, The University of Pune (now, Savitribai Phule Pune University) was established.

1950: PMC Reorganization

In 1950, the Poona Municipal Council was reorganized to form the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

1953: AIR Broadcasting from Pune

The government-owned All India Radio (AIR) has been broadcasting from Pune since 1953.

1954: Establishment of Hindustan Antibiotics

In 1954, the establishment of Hindustan Antibiotics marked the beginning of industrial development in the Hadapsar, Bhosari, and Pimpri areas of Pune.

1955: Establishment of National Defence Academy

In 1955, the National Defence Academy was established in Pune.

1961: Panshet Dam Breach and Flood

In 1961, the breach in the Panshet dam caused a severe flood, leading to damage and destruction of housing close to the river banks and spurred the development of new suburbs and housing complexes.

1962: Formation of MIDC

In 1962, the formation of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) initiated industrial land acquisition and infrastructure development in Pune.

1967: Initial PMR Definition

In 1967, the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) was initially defined.

1967: Definition of Pune Metropolitan Region

In 1967, the Pune Metropolitan Region was defined to integrate urban planning, covering the area under PMC, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, the three cantonments, and surrounding villages.

1972: Poona District Football Association established

In 1972, the Poona District Football Association (PDFA) was established and currently has more than 100 registered teams.

1978: City name changed to Pune

In 1978, the city's name was officially changed to Pune, after being Anglicized to Poona in 1857 by the English during British rule.

1978: Official Name Change

In 1978, the official name of the city was changed from Poona to Pune.

1987: Lalit Kala Kendra Operational

Since 1987, the Lalit Kala Kendra, an undergraduate department of Music, Dance and Drama on the SPPU campus, has been operational, featuring a combination of gurukul and formal education systems.

1991: Population Increase

The sharp increase in population during the decade 1991–2001 led to the absorption of 38 fringe villages into the city.

1994: National Games in Pune

In 1994, the National Games were held in Pune at the Balewadi Stadium.

1996: Cricket World Cup Game at Nehru Stadium

The Nehru Stadium hosted a game of the 1996 Cricket World Cup.

1998: Mumbai-Pune Expressway Construction Begins

In 1998, work began on the six-lane Mumbai-Pune expressway.

1999: Zoo Merger at Katraj

In 1999, the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, formerly located at Peshwe Park, merged with the reptile park at Katraj.

2001: Slum Population

According to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), 40% of the population of Pune lived in slums in 2001.

2001: Literacy Rate

In 2001, the average literacy rate of Pune was 80.45%.

2001: Mumbai-Pune Expressway Completion

In 2001, the six-lane Mumbai-Pune expressway was completed.

2001: Migration to Pune

The number of people migrating to Pune rose from 43,900 in 2001.

2002: Mumbai Pune Expressway Built

In 2002, the Mumbai Pune Expressway, India's first six-lane high-speed expressway, was built, reducing travel time between Pune and Mumbai.

2004: Cycle Track Construction

In 2004, as a part of the BRT system, the building of 130 kilometres of cycle tracks was attempted under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to revive cycling in Pune.

2004: Aqueduct Condition

In 2004, the underground aqueduct constructed by Nanasaheb to bring water from Katraj lake to Shaniwar Wada was still in working order.

2005: Two Wheeler Increase

In 2005, Pune was reported to have one million two-wheelers, leading to a 10-fold increase in particulate pollution in some areas.

2005: Migration to Pune

In 2005, The number of people migrating to Pune was 88,200.

2005: Population of Pune Urban Agglomeration

In 2005, the population of the Pune Urban Agglomeration was approximately 4,485,000.

2008: Pune Mirror Introduction

In 2008, The Times of India introduced a tabloid called Pune Mirror.

2008: Commonwealth Youth Games

In 2008, the Commonwealth Youth Games took place in Pune, encouraging development in the northwest region of the city.

2009: FIVB Men's Junior World Championship

In 2009, Pune hosted the FIVB Men's Junior World Championship.

2009: Sewage Treatment Capacity

In 2009, Pune only had the capacity to treat 65% of the sewage it generated before discharging it into the rivers, leading to the Mutha river containing only sewage outside the monsoon months.

February 2010: German Bakery Bombing

On 13 February 2010, a bomb exploded at the German Bakery in Koregaon Park, Pune, resulting in 17 deaths and 60 injuries. The Indian Mujahideen terrorist group was suspected of carrying out the attack.

2011: Cycle Track Report

A 2011 report revealed that only 88 kilometers of cycle tracks were actually built as a part of the BRT system in Pune, and most were unusable at the time of the report.

2011: 2011 Census

According to the 2011 Census of India, Pune had a population of 7.2 million residents in the metropolitan region, making it the seventh-most populous metropolitan area in India.

2011: Pune Marathas began playing in the Elite Football League of India

In 2011, the Pune Marathas, an American football franchise, began playing in the inaugural season of the Elite Football League of India at the Balewadi Stadium.

2012: Township Count

According to the PMC, six townships with up to 15,000 housing units existed in Pune in 2012, and 25 more were in the planning process.

2014: FC Pune City established

In 2014, FC Pune City was established as an Indian Super League football club in Pune, becoming the only professional football club in India to have teams participating at all levels of professional football.

2014: PMC Governance Ranking

In 2014, PMC was ranked 8th out of 21 Indian cities for best governance and administrative practices.

2014: Manufacturing Sector Employment

In 2014–15, the manufacturing sector in Pune provided employment to over 500,000 people.

March 2015: PMRDA Formation

The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) was formed on 31 March 2015 and is responsible for the integrated development of the PMR.

2015: Pune Peshwas runners-up in UBA Pro Basketball League season

In 2015, the Pune Peshwas were the runners-up in the UBA Pro Basketball League season.

September 2016: New Airport Location Change

In September 2016, the location for the proposed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj International Airport was changed to Purandar, about 20 kilometers south-east of the city.

2016: Rising Pune Supergiant in Indian Premier League

In 2016, Rising Pune Supergiant played in the Indian Premier League.

February 2017: PMC Elections

In February 2017, elections for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) resulted in a general body of 162 corporators representing 41 multi-member wards.

2017: IT Sector Employment

As of 2017, the IT sector in Pune employed more than 300,000 people, with IT companies located in Hinjawadi, Magarpatta, Kharadi, and other parts of the city.

2017: Rising Pune Supergiant in Indian Premier League

In 2017, Rising Pune Supergiant played in the Indian Premier League.

2017: Mercer Quality of Living Rankings

In 2017, the Mercer Quality of Living Rankings evaluated living conditions in more than 440 cities around the world and ranked Pune at 145, second highest in India after Hyderabad at 144.

2017: Opening of PIECC

In 2017, the Pune International Exhibition and Convention Centre (PIECC) opened, which was expected to boost the Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions trade.

2017: New Vehicle Registrations

In the fiscal year 2017–18, 300,000 new vehicles were registered in Pune, two-thirds of them two-wheelers.

2017: Cycle Sharing Schemes Launched

Since late 2017, app-based cycle sharing schemes have been launched in Pune under the Smart Cities Mission.

April 2018: PCMC Police Commissionerate Announced

In April 2018, a separate police commissionerate was announced for PCMC, Pune, to be carved out of the historic Pune Police Department.

August 2018: PCMC Police Commissionerate Takes Charge

On 15 August 2018, the new PCMC police commissionerate took charge.

2018: Airport Service Quality Ranking

In 2018, Pune International Airport at Lohegaon was ranked third best in the category of 5–15 million passengers by Airport Service Quality.

2018: Vehicle Count Exceeds Population

In 2018, the number of vehicles in Pune exceeded its population, with 3.62 million total vehicles, 2.70 million being two-wheelers.

January 2019: Pune Adopts E-Buses

In January 2019, Pune became the first Indian city to adopt e-buses, and Bhekrai Nagar became the country's first all-electric bus depot.

2019: Pune District GDP

In 2019–20, Pune District had an estimated nominal GDP of Rs. 3,31,478 crores, making it the third-largest contributor to Maharashtra's economy. The GDP per capita of Pune District in 2019–20 was Rs. 3,16,848.

2021: Women's Tennis ITF Tournament

In 2021, a Women's Tennis ITF $25K tournament was held at Deccan Gymkhana club's tennis courts, which also hosted men's ITF $15K event.

2022: PMC Financial Report

According to audited financial statements published on the CityFinance Portal, the Pune Municipal Corporation reported total revenue receipts of ₹94.26 billion and total expenditure of ₹78.36 billion for the financial year 2022–23.

2022: ATP 250 Maharashtra Open

Until 2022, the ATP 250 Maharashtra Open, India's biggest professional tennis championship and only ATP event, was held at Balewadi.

May 2023: Highest temperature Recorded in Koregaon Park

On 11 May 2023, Koregaon Park recorded a temperature of 44.4 °C (112 °F).

August 2023: Tesla Leases Space in Pune

In August 2023, Tesla, Inc. leased a space in Pune, marking its initial step towards establishing a presence in India.

2023: BRTS Bus Lanes Removed

In 2023, dedicated bus lanes from Yerawda to Vimannagar were removed due to ongoing metro construction and high incidences of accidents.

2023: 2023 Cricket World Cup Games at Nehru Stadium

The Neharu Stadium hosted five games of the 2023 Cricket World Cup including one of India against Bangladesh.

June 2024: Airport Project Progress Update

In June 2024, the civil aviation minister stated that with approvals in place from relevant authorities the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj International Airport project is going to be making progress.