Also known as SAS Nagar or Mohali, it was declared the 18th district of Punjab on 14 April 2006. Mohali is adjacent to Chandigarh, a union territory (UT) and the common capital of Punjab and Haryana, and covers an area of 1092.64 square kilometers. The district falls under the Patiala division and it is divided into three tehesils (divisions): Dera Bassi, Kharar and Mohali. As per the Census 2001, the population of the district is 698,317 out of which approximately 34% lives in the cities. Derabassi, Kharar, Mohali, Nayagaon and Zirakpur are the main cities in the district.

The district has a climate typical of that of Punjab; the summers are hot and the winters are mild. There are four seasons and 70% of the annual rainfall occurs between the months of July and September. Punjabi and Hindi are two widely spoken languages in Mohali and English is mainly understood by a minority upper class.

Mohali was being developed as an extension to the Chandigarh UT but it was reorganized as a district when the population in Mohali reached 20% of that of Chandigarh. The district has eight engineering colleges and because of its proximity to Chandigarh it is fast emerging as an IT hub in North India. There are also many reputed companies including the Punjab Tractors Limited, Infosys, Dell and Philips. Quark City, which is spread over 51 acres, is going to be the biggest project on a Special Economic Zone in Mohali when it is completed.

The district also has a number of places for a tourist and the most famous of them is the PCA Stadium or the Mohali Cricket Stadium. The PCA stadium has one of the largest grounds in the country and has a capacity of 30,000 spectators. The stadium’s importance can be gauged from the fact that it is hosting three matches of the Cricket World Cup 2011.