Hubli

Overview

Hubli, officially spelt Hubballi, is a city in the Dharwad district of the Indian state of Karnataka. Together with the neighbouring city of Dharwad, it forms the twin-city municipal corporation of Hubballi-Dharwad, which is the second-largest urban agglomeration in Karnataka after Bengaluru. Hubli is a major commercial, industrial and transportation hub of north Karnataka, often described as the "commercial capital" of the region.

Key facts

Etymology and names

The name Hubballi is derived from the Kannada words hoo (flower) and balli (creeper), and the older settlement was historically known as Eleya Puravada Halli ("old town"). The anglicised spelling "Hubli" was used during the colonial period and remains common; the Government of Karnataka officially restored the Kannada spelling "Hubballi" in 2014, along with several other city names in the state.

Geography

Hubli lies on the Deccan Plateau at an elevation of roughly 670 metres above mean sea level, in the transition zone between the Malnad (Western Ghats) belt and the drier eastern plains. It is situated about 20 km southeast of Dharwad and approximately 410 km northwest of Bengaluru. The climate is semi-arid, with hot summers, a monsoon season from June to September, and mild winters.

History

The region around Hubli has been inhabited since the medieval period, with references to settlements under the Chalukyas of Kalyani and the Vijayanagara Empire. By the 16th and 17th centuries, the old town of Rayara Hubballi had developed as a trading centre dealing in cotton, saltpetre and iron, attracting attention from European trading companies, including the British East India Company, which is recorded as having established a small factory there.

Hubli passed under the control of the Adil Shahis of Bijapur, the Mughals, the Marathas, and finally the Mysore rulers Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, before coming under British administration in the early 19th century, when it was incorporated into the Bombay Presidency. The expansion of the railway in the late 19th century, particularly under the Southern Mahratta Railway, transformed Hubli into a major junction and workshop town.

After Indian independence and the linguistic reorganisation of states in 1956, Hubli became part of the new Mysore State, later renamed Karnataka in 1973. In 1962, Hubli and Dharwad were combined to form a single municipal corporation, the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation.

Economy

Hubli is one of the principal commercial centres of north Karnataka. Key sectors include:

• Cotton and handloom trade, with Hubli historically a leading market for raw cotton.
• Engineering, machine tools and small and medium industries clustered in industrial estates such as Gokul Road and Tarihal.
• Iron, steel and food processing.
• Banking and trade services; Hubli is the headquarters of Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank, a regional rural bank.
• Information technology, with a growing IT park and start-up activity.

Transport

Rail

Hubli is the headquarters of the South Western Railway (SWR) zone of Indian Railways, established in 2003. Hubballi Junction is one of the busiest railway stations in Karnataka and serves as a major junction connecting Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Goa and other parts of the country. The city is also home to a long-standing railway workshop.

Road

National Highway 48 (the Bengaluru–Pune corridor, formerly NH-4) and National Highway 67 pass through or near Hubli, making it an important road junction. The North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) is headquartered in the city.

Air

Hubli Airport (IATA: HBX), located on the outskirts of the city, operates domestic flights to Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other Indian cities.