Bengaluru is a major educational hub and home to some of the premium educational institutions in the country.[350] The city has a 90.33% literacy rate and ranks second among the major Indian metropolitan city centres.[351] As per the 2011 national census, Bengaluru urban had a literacy rate of around 87.7%.[352][353] Until the early 19th century, education in Bengaluru was mainly run by religious leaders and restricted to students of that religion.[354] In 1841, two native language schools were established by a London mission, and in 1842, Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar established the first English School under the Wesleyan mission, which expanded to five schools by 1954. In 1857, a public education department was established, and the education was formulated as per the Indian educational policy at the time.[260][253] The Bangalore Military School was established in 1945.

Stone Age artefacts discovered at Jalahalli, Sidhapura and Jadigenahalli on Bengaluru's outskirts indicate human settlement around 4000 BCE.[18][19] Iron Age tools and burial mounds from around 800 BCE, have been found in Koramangala and Chikkajala. Coins of the Roman emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius, and Caligula found at Yeswanthpur and HAL indicate the involvement of the region in trans-oceanic trade with the Romans and other civilisations in the first century CE.

Bengaluru is one of the fastest-growing metropolises in India.[200][201][202] As of 2023, Bengaluru metropolitan area had an estimated GDP of $359.9 billion,[7] ranking it among the most productive metro areas in India.[203][204] According to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, Bengaluru is amongst the most integrated with the global economy, classified as an alpha-city.[205] The city contributes to nearly one-third of the state GSDP, and has a diversified industrial base dependent on services (39.5% contribution to GDP), manufacturing (36%), and agriculture (2.3%).[206][207] Bengaluru has the country's fourth largest fast-moving consumer goods market.[208] The city also has the third highest number of high-net-worth individuals in India.[209] Major industrial sectors include information technology, automobiles, aerospace, textiles, heavy machinery, biotechnology, electronics, and communication, agriculture, and food processing.[210] The industrial clusters are spread across the city and its

Cricket is the most popular sport in the city and the parks in the city serve as venues for impromptu games.[391][392][393] M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, established in 1969, is a major international cricketing venue, and has hosted matches during multiple ICC Cricket World Cups.[394] The Karnataka State Cricket Association, located in the stadium premises, is responsible for managing organised cricket in the state.[395] The National Cricket Academy, operated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, is based out of the city.[396] The city is home to the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru.[397] Notable international cricketers born in the city include Erapalli Prasanna,[398] Roger Binny,[399] Anil Kumble,[400] Venkatesh Prasad,[401] Lokesh Rahul,[402] Mayank Agarwal,[403] and Stuart Binny.