For many professionals, moving to Delhi means moving to the heart of national life.
Parliament, the Supreme Court, every ministry, every major think tank, every PSU (public sector company) headquarters and India's biggest cluster of media and law firms all sit within a 10 km radius. The city is loud, complex and deeply historical. No other city comes close if your career touches policy, government, media, law, consulting or education leadership.
17M
NCT Population
Heart of national life
393km
Metro · Largest in India
10 lines plus Airport Express, 288+ stations
3
UNESCO Heritage Sites
Red Fort, Qutub, Humayun's Tomb
~70M
Annual IGI Pax
IGI Airport, best airport in India
India's Capital
Parliament, Supreme Court, every ministry, national decisions concentrate here
Legal & Policy Hub
Supreme Court bar, top law firms, think tanks (ORF, IDSA, CPR), constitutional practice
Media Capital
NDTV, India Today, AajTak, Republic, Hindustan Times, The Hindu Delhi, North India's media gravity
Most Extensive Metro
10 lines plus Airport Express, 288+ stations, 393 km, clean, AC, English-signed throughout
Mughlai & Punjabi Food
Birthplace of butter chicken, dal makhani and tandoori, Karim's has fed Delhi since 1913
AIIMS, Max Saket, Apollo, Sir Ganga Ram, Fortis Escorts, BLK, tertiary referrals from across India
Khan Market & CP
India's most expensive retail per sqft (Khan Market) and the colonial centre at Connaught Place
2,500 Years of Heritage
Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, three UNESCO sites within the city limits
IGI T3 · Asia-class
Best airport in India, direct long-haul to 80+ international cities, 2.5 hours to any Indian metro
Lodhi Gardens
90 acres of Mughal tombs in manicured parkland, the city's most beloved morning routine
Daily Commute
Plan around traffic, peak hours (8.30-11.30am, 5.30-9.30pm) add 30 to 90 min; the extensive Metro often beats the car
Moving from Mumbai, Bangalore or Hyderabad? The biggest adjustments are space (Delhi gives you more, independent floors, large rooms, sometimes terrace gardens) and daily commute times (Delhi traffic is heavy at peak hours, though the Metro is the most extensive in India). What you gain is direct access to India's national-policy network and a city whose culture and food run deeper than anywhere else in India.
02Culture & Heritage
Delhi's history and monuments
Delhi has 2,500 years of continuous history as a capital. Indraprastha, Lal Kot, Siri, Tughlakabad, Ferozabad, Shahjahanabad and Lutyens' New Delhi all lie beneath your daily commute. Three of its monuments, the Qutub Complex, Humayun's Tomb and the Red Fort, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Oct-Nov
Diwali · Festival of Lights
Delhi's Diwali is North India at its most intense, markets are illuminated, every balcony has diyas, and mithai exchanges with neighbours and Society staff are mandatory. Send dry-fruit and sweet hampers to colleagues, it builds goodwill that lasts the year.
Delhi celebrates Holi at urban scale unlike anywhere else in India. Gymkhana clubs host structured Holi brunches; residential colonies do the full water-and-gulaal version on the street. Wear clothes you do not mind losing, and pace the bhang lassi.
26 January
Republic Day Parade
India's annual parade rolls down Kartavya Path from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. The Beating Retreat ceremony three days later, at Vijay Chowk, is a must-attend musical sunset. Public enclosure tickets via government portals; corporate enclosures via employer sponsorship.
Year-round
UNESCO Monuments
Qutub Minar (12th century), Humayun's Tomb (16th century, direct architectural ancestor of the Taj Mahal) and the Red Fort (17th century). Take all three within your first month. The Aga Khan-led restoration of Humayun's Tomb is among the world's great conservation projects.
03Climate
Weather through the year
Delhi has a true continental climate: extreme heat in summer, a short but real monsoon, and crisp winter mornings.
What surprises people moving here most is the air quality, more than the temperature. From October to February the AQI (air quality index) changes daily routines. Outdoor exercise, school sport and sleeping with the window open become decisions you make each day.
8 to 20°JanCool · AQI
11 to 24°FebSpring
16 to 30°MarPleasant
21 to 37°AprHot
26 to 40°MayPeak Heat
28 to 39°JunPre-Monsoon
28 to 36°JulMonsoon
27 to 34°AugWettest
25 to 34°SepRetreating
20 to 33°OctAQI ↑↑
13 to 28°NovSmog Peak
8 to 23°DecCold · AQI
ColdBest monthsHotMonsoonWarmBest months in Delhi: Feb, Mar
Each month shows the average daily low and high in °C, from the India Meteorological Department's 1991 to 2020 normals for New Delhi (Safdarjung). Checked 7 Oct 2026.
Winter · Cool but Smoggy
December · February
About 8 to 24°C, the most comfortable Delhi temperatures of the year, but coinciding with the worst air quality. Crisp blue-sky mornings are rare; smoggy mornings with AQI 250-400 are the norm. Pack a proper winter wardrobe. Dense morning fog regularly delays flights in December and January.
Proper winter coat for Dec/Jan
Air purifiers running 24/7 in every bedroom
Fog delays, buffer morning flights
Hot & Dry Summer
March · June
Average highs of 30°C in March climb to 40°C in May, and the hottest days can pass 45°C. The "loo" (hot dry wind) is a Delhi summer signature. May is very hard to bear, outdoor activity restricted to early morning or after sunset. Ensure your AC is serviced before March. Coming from Bangalore or Hyderabad? Delhi's summer is significantly hotter and drier.
45°C+ in May/June, dry, dust-heavy
Hydration critical · ORS sachets
Full AC servicing before March
Brief Monsoon
July · September
Delhi's monsoon is far less intense than Mumbai's, about 570mm across the three months, often arriving in dramatic afternoon bursts. Brief greening of the city and the freshness of evenings are some of Delhi's most beautiful moments. Localised waterlogging on Ring Road and ITO is common.
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Photo: António Alves Tedim, CC BY-SA 4.0
