Is Visakhapatnam a state or city?

Visakhapatnam is a major city located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India—it is not a state itself. The city serves as the administrative headquarters of Visakhapatnam district and is positioned on the southeastern coast of India along the Bay of Bengal. Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, when Telangana was formed as a separate state, Visakhapatnam became even more significant as the largest city and financial capital of the newly reorganized Andhra Pradesh.

The city functions as the executive capital of Andhra Pradesh under the three-capital system proposed by the state government, though this designation has been subject to ongoing political and legal discussions. With a metropolitan population exceeding 2 million people, Visakhapatnam is the second most populous city in Andhra Pradesh after the commercial hub of Vijayawada. The city's jurisdiction extends beyond the urban core to include surrounding suburban areas and port facilities, making it a vital administrative, economic, and strategic center within the state while reporting to the Andhra Pradesh state government.