Urbanisation has played and will continue to play a critical role in India’s growth. Managing this urbanisation is among the country’s biggest challenges. India’s cities and towns face serious neglect. The basic elements of urban life and economic activity — from air quality to housing clean water and public transport— are severely deficient. The local bodies governing cities do not have sufficient finances, expertise or personnel to address these challenges. Indian cities need urgent reform in order to unlock their economic potential and transform quality of life.
At IDFC Institute, we released a new policy document titled, “Reforming Urban India” that outlines a set of recommendations for addressing the issues facing Indian cities. The recommendations are based on research done at the Institute as well as in-depth discussions with urban experts carried out over the past several years. They range from foundational issues such as improving the accuracy of identifying and classifying urban areas and strengthening decentralisation to the specifics of the planning process.
Read the full policy document here.