Urban air quality is an issue of major concern across many cities and towns in India. In particular, high levels of particulate matter (both suspended particulate matter (SPM) and respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM)) are responsible for non-compliance against air quality standards. This paper analyses the status of air quality in the 16 most polluted Indian cities identified for priority action by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. Each city has its own unique problems depending on the nature of activities being undertaken. Thus, three cities, Pune, Lucknow, and Faridabad, which represent a top-ten urban agglomerate (based on population), a predominantly residential city and an industrial town are chosen for detailed analyses of the air quality problem. The causal factors for poor air quality are determined and sectoral emission loads are estimated for each city adopting a uniform approach that facilitates comparative evaluation. These provide an estimate of the major contributors to air pollution with specific reference to particulate matter, which is a major pollutant of concern. For each of these cities, an air quality management plan is suggested that specifically accounts for the contributing factors in each city. Further, quantitative estimates of the likely improvements due to implementation of some of the specific measures are also provided. An overall comparative assessment of the air quality issues across different cities can provide useful insights in the development of the management plan for the remaining cities as well.