The first notion of twin cities I ever became aware of involved Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Hyderabad, an ancient city in South India’s Deccan Plateau region, gained regional importance in the 17th century. Secunderabad was more-or-less founded by the East India Company a couple of centuries later.

Eager for a base of operations removed from that of the natives, the British built Secunderabad. Always the more suburban of the two, its twin Hyderabad has gained global prominence as a result of the information technology industry’s recent proliferation.