The major city and capital of the Indian state of Telangana is Hyderabad. It is located in the northern region of Southern India, 650 kilometers from the banks of the Musi River on the Deccan Plateau. A large portion of Hyderabad, which has an average elevation of 542 meters, is built on hilly terrain surrounding man-made lakes, such as the Hussain Sagar Lake, which was there before the city was founded and is located north of the city center. With 6.9 million people living inside its city borders and 9.7 million in the metropolitan area, Hyderabad is the fourth most populous city in India, according to the 2011 census. This makes it the sixth most populated metro area in the country.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 part 2 Section 5 states that Hyderabad in the current State of Andhra Pradesh shall serve as the capital of both the State of Telangana and the State of Andhra Pradesh for no more than ten years as of the appointed day; after that time has passed, Hyderabad will serve as the capital of the State of Telangana, and a new capital for the State of Andhra Pradesh will be established. The same sections further specify that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, established by the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, 1955, is included in the common capital.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ranked Hyderabad as the sixth largest deposit center and fourth largest credit center nationwide in June 2012, with a per capita annual income of ₹44,300 (US$510) in 2011. The state and central governments were the city’s largest employers as of 2006, and according to a 2005 survey, 77% of the city’s male population and 19% of its female population were employed. Recent estimates of the Hyderabad metropolitan area’s economy have ranged from US$40 to US$74 billion, placing it as the fifth or sixth most productive metro area in India.

In Hyderabad, the most popular medium-distance transportation options as of 2018 are privately run taxis and autorickshaws, as well as government-owned vehicles including buses and light trains. Every day, 3.5 million passengers are served by these together. With a fleet of 3800 buses carrying 3.3 million passengers, bus services are run out of the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station in the heart of the city.

In November 2017, Hyderabad Metro, a light-rail rapid transit system, was launched. With 57 stations and a 3-track network spanning 69.2 km (43 mi), it is now India’s third-largest metro rail system, behind Delhi Metro and Namma Metro 180,000 passengers are carried daily by Hyderabad’s Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS), a three-line suburban rail service with 121 services.

Hyderabad’s public and private schools use a “10+2+3” plan and are overseen by either the Central Board of Secondary Education or the Telangana Board of Secondary Education, depending on the affiliation. Approximately two-thirds of students attend schools that are privately owned. Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, and English are among the languages of instruction. Students must take either the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or the Secondary School Certificate, depending on the institution. Students enroll in junior colleges or schools with upper secondary facilities after finishing secondary school. The Engineering Agricultural and Medical Common Entrance Test (EAM-CET) is used to admit students to professional graduation colleges in Hyderabad, many of which are connected to Osmania University (OU) or Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH).