In addition, there are other factors which may retard the process of urbanization. Identity politics, hostility towards ‘outsiders' coupled with contractualization of labour and mass unemployment, lack of open space in large cities where the migrants built illegal settlements in the past, expansion of IT industry, improved city planning, and increasing vulnerability of migrants to various risks in the cities would also discourage people from migrating towards cities. This will mean that the migration flows may change direction. Potential migrants would find Delhi , Bangaluru, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata less attractive than in the past and move towards other cities where they would have a greater chance of finding employment and facing less hostility.
To quote the Committee on Population (2003):
A paradox of globalization is that, while creating more linkages and interdependencies, it also underscores the importance of comparative advantage of the subnational and local levels. Transnational corporations become increasingly aware of the niches where cheap and reliable labor can be found, and learn in detail of the constraints of local transport and infrastructure. Hence, when seen from a global corporate perspective, the cities of low-income countries are likely to appear increasingly diverse.
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