Malappuram is a municipal town and the administrative headquarters of the Malappuram district in Kerala, India. Located approximately 47 km southeast of Calicut and 90 km northwest of Palakkad, it was established as the first municipality in its district in 1970. The town covers an area of 33.61 km2 and is divided into 40 electoral wards.
The Malappuram metropolitan area ranks as the fourth largest urban agglomeration in Kerala and the 25th largest in India, with a total population of 3 million. It has been identified by the Economist Intelligence Unit as the fastest-growing city in the world, recording an urban growth rate of 44.1% between 2015 and 2020.
The municipality is notable for several firsts in India, including being the first municipal body to provide free Wi-Fi connectivity to all its residents and the first to achieve an International Organization for Standardization certificate. Additionally, it is recognized as the first complaint-free municipality in the state of Kerala.