Nashik, Marathi: [naːʃik], formerly Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of the river Godavari. The population of Nashik city is around 2.2 million and is emerging as one of the fastest-growing cities in India. Nashik is located about 165 km (103 mi) northeast of the state capital Mumbai, and about 210 km (130 mi) north of Pune. The Mumbai-Pune-Nashik region is called the "Golden Triangle of Maharashtra". With its high agricultural production, Nashik is dubbed the Napa Valley of India and the "Wine Capital of India" as more than half of India's vineyards and wineries are located here. Around 90% of all Indian wine comes from the Nashik Valley. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the Kumbh Mela, which is held every 12 years.

Aurangabad, officially known as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, or Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the fifth-most populous urban area in Maharashtra after Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Nashik with a population of 1,175,116. The city is known as a major production center of cotton textile and artistic silk fabrics. Several prominent educational institutions, including Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, are located in the city. The city is also a popular tourism hub, with tourist destinations like the Ajanta and Ellora caves lying on its outskirts, both of which have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1983. Other tourist attractions include the Aurangabad Caves, Devagiri Fort, Grishneshwar Temple, Jama Mosque, Bibi Ka Maqbara, Himayat Bagh, Panchakki and Salim Ali Lake. Historically, there were 52 Gates in Aurangabad, some of them extant, because of which Aurangabad is nicknamed as the "City of Gates". In 2019, the Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) became the first greenfield industrial smart city of India under the country's flagship Smart Cities Mission.