Howrah is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. Howrah is located on the western bank of the Hooghly River, opposite to its twin city of Kolkata. Administratively Howrah lies within Howrah district and is the headquarters of the Howrah Sadar subdivision. It is governed by the Howrah Municipal Corporation; it is also a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Howrah is an important industrial and transportation hub, and is also a gateway to Kolkata via Howrah railway station and Howrah Bridge.