Kolkata is one of the largest cities in India covering an area of 187 square km. Kolkata was founded in 1690 by British trader Job Charnock as a trading post of the English East India Company.

Till the 17th century, Calcutta was nothing more than a village. But, today it is one of the major metropolitan cities of India along with Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. The credit for its present status goes to the expansion plans of the European powers, especially the British Raj. Kolkata was once the capital city of British India and also the Gateway to India till 1912. It is a major commercial city consisting of big industrial plants and corporate houses.

Kolkata stands on the Eastern Bank of River Ganga. The tail end of river Ganga flows by the side of Kolkata before it reaches Bay of Bengal about 180 Km. down stream from Kolkata.

Kolkata has long been known for its literary, artistic and revolutionary heritage. As the former capital of India, Kolkata was the birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought. Kolkatans tend to have a special appreciation for art and literature; its tradition of welcoming new talent has made it a "city of furious creative energy". For these reasons, Kolkata has often been dubbed as the "cultural capital of India".

Kolkata has twelve public universities, numerous degree colleges, five medical colleges, one dental college, several engineering, management and polytechnic institutes.