Pune earlier famous as Poona is one of the most important cities of Western India aptly called the `Queen of Deccan' after it's elevated position atop the Deccan Plateau, it's salubrious climate and surrounding hills. The city is nicknamed variously such as `Pensioner's Paradise', the `Oxford of East', `Detroit of India', the 'Cultural Capital of Maharashtra', once the `Cycle city ' and now the `Scooter city ' of South India and upcoming 'IT-BT' capital of India.

From a tiny agricultural settlement called `Punnaka' in the 8th century, the city has grown into a metropolis covering more than 700 sq. km. area and supporting about 4 million people. The tiny settlement of the 8th century developed into a small town-Kasbe Pune, during the 11th century under the Moghals. Since then till 1818, the city changed hands from one dynasty to the other, especially between the Moghals of the Marathas. During the mid-17th century, the city became the temperary residence of Shivaji. The city rose to prominence when the Peshwas established the seat of Marathas' empire here (1749 A.D.) During the Peshwa's rule, the City expanded considerably. The 1761 defeat at Panipat affected the fate of the Maratha Empire and consequently that of the city. The Maratha rule came to an end at Khadki near Pune, in 1871 when the British defeated them and the city and the environs came under the British rule. Under the British, Pune became the `Monsoon Capital' of the then Bombay Presidency. The Army bases established by the British on the city's outskirts, were later converted into the cantonments of Pune and Khadki.

During the 1850s the Railway rolled into Pune from Mumbai. Pune Municipality was established in 1858. A number of educational institutes also came up here: the Deccan College (one of the oldest in western India), Engineering College (second oldest in the Subcontinent), Fergusson College (amongst ten most reputed in India), Agricultural College (one of the earliest in the country) to name a few. Pune also houses many research institutes of national and international repute. Pune is also the Headquarters of the Southern Command and has many other defense establishments. The important events in the city's history, its growth and development include the development of Deccan Gymkhana and other colonies across the river in 1920's, the establishment of Pune Municipal Co-operation in 1950, influx of refugees from Pakistan (1948-'50), the establishment of an industrial estate in Pimpri-Chinchwad (1960) and the Panshet deluge (1960).