Synopsis The findings from the Municipal Performance Index also reveal that the Finance vertical is highly correlated with the Governance and Services verticals. This link shows that urban local bodies that are better able to manage their finances are also better at governing their cities and providing better services to their citizens. There is a need for India to improve urban development efforts through evidence-based policymaking at the local level. Cities are the epitome of human civilisation. Edward Glaeser calls them the greatest invention of mankind. In her masterpiece Cities and the Wealth of Nations: Principles of Economic Life, Jane Jacobs argues that it is cities, not nations that are the drivers of wealth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi aptly asserts that cities are not merely growth centres, but they have the strength and capacity to mitigate poverty. And so, it can be seen from the lens of data, no matter what the geography.