Visakhapatnam Ranked Among Safest Cities for Women in India: NARI 2025

Visakhapatnam has been recognised as one of the safest cities for women in India, according to the National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025, released on Thursday by the National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson, Vijaya Rahatkar.

The report, based on a survey of 12,770 women across 31 cities, set the national safety score at 65%. Visakhapatnam was rated “much above” this benchmark, joining Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar, Kohima and Mumbai in the top tier. Cities were grouped into five categories ranging from “much above” to “much below” the national average.

Shankha Brata Bagchi, Visakhapatnam’s commissioner of police, credited the ranking to a series of measures introduced by the city’s police force. These include 24-hour patrols, drone surveillance, and CCTV monitoring in key areas. Dedicated “She Teams” have also been deployed to safeguard women, alongside awareness programmes on women’s and cyber safety in schools, colleges and neighbourhoods through the Nava Nirmana Samajam initiative.

“If any woman does not get justice at the police station level, she can approach me directly on mobile at any time or in person till midnight in the office,” Bagchi said, urging women to come forward without hesitation.

According to the NARI report, cities such as Kohima, Visakhapatnam and Mumbai performed strongly due to improved policing, civic participation, gender equality and women-friendly infrastructure. At the other end of the scale, Delhi, Ranchi, Srinagar, Kolkata, Patna, Jaipur and Faridabad were ranked lowest.

Nationwide, the survey found that six in 10 women feel safe in their cities, while 40% still consider their surroundings “not so safe” or “unsafe”. The findings suggest progress, but also underline continuing challenges in protecting women across urban India.