URBAN CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIA

Conference on Future Cities

New Delhi
Feb. 24-25, 2014

Chetan Vaidya
Director SPA New Delhi
Organized by

MHRD. IIT Roorkee, and UK

URBAN INDIA POPULATION TRENDS

Total Urban Population in 2011 : 377.2 million
% Urban Population to total in 2011: 31.16% (50+% in 2050):
No. Urban Centers: 7500, Million plus cities: 54
Large number of non-municipal towns
% GDP in urban Areas: 70%
% of Urban Poor: 29.8% (76.47 Million in 2009-10)
Urban Infrastructure Investment Requirement: Rs. 39200 billion (US$
871.11 billion) for 20 years
Large variation among Sates
India needs to improve its urban infrastructure and governance to achieve
economic objectives

URBAN INITIATIVES IN INDIA

Several initiatives to improve urban governance and Infrastructure:

JNNURM- reform linked investment program
Public Private Partnership
e-Governance in Municipalities
Market Based Financing
Urban Transport Policy
National Urban Sanitation Policy
Service Level Benchmarking Program
Rajiv Awas Yojana (Slum Free City)
13th CFC

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal

Mission (JNNURM)
JNNURM Mission provides Reform Linked Investment for Urban
Infrastructure for cities undertaking reforms (2005-14)
Constraints
Absence of Long-Term City-Level Planning
Inadequate Staff Capacity (at Central, State and Local Levels as well as
private)
Inadequate Project Identification, Planning and Implementation
One size fit all cities and states approach not working
Critical Reforms not understood and implemented
Inadequate Communication
It brought focus on urban infrastructure and Governance
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STRATEGY

Need Sustainable, Inclusive and Smart cities.

Mayor has executive powers for managing and planning cities. Improved
revenue base of local bodies with unlocking of land values.
Focus on public urban transport and not individual transport.

Spaces for cycling and walking.

Land use plans are to be integrated with public transport and with high
density, higher floor space and mixed land use.

Slum upgradtion and not new housing for poor.

Affordable housing through market systems

Extensive use of Communication Information and Technology (ICT) Smart

City
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POSSIBLE LINKAGES WITH UK INSTITUTIONS

Knowledge Sharing
Technology for Urban Infrastructure-Project Planning,
Implementation and Maintenance
Urban Planning and Design
Role of Private Sector Participation in Delivery of
Services
Urban Transport
Smart City Options
Capacity Building

CONCLUSIOINS
Urbanization is Inevitable in India
Urban India offers a number of Challenges and
Opportunities for Employment Generation
The Urban Problems are Surmountable
We need Sustainable, Inclusive and Smart Urban
Planning
Need Knowledge Sharing and Partnerships among
Urban Stakeholders to Learn from Each Other
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c.vaidya@spa.ac.in
THANK YOU