Smart Solutions for Sustainable Cities: A Policy Perspective

Urban India has grown at an unprecedented rate in the last two decades. The level of urbanisation increased from 25 per cent in 1991 to 31 per cent in 2011 with a total urban population of 377 million in 2011. A conservative estimate of India's population growth shows that it is expected to reach about 1.5 billion by 2031, of which the urban population is estimated to be about 600 million, i.e., about 40 per cent1. The contribution of urban areas to the national GDP is expected to increase from about 60 per cent in 2009-10 to about 75 per cent in 20302 indicating the continued trends in terms of cities being the engines for economic growth of the country. The potential of cities and their contribution to the economic growth, however, could remain underachieved if the current and future challenges of urban development linked to gaps in the provision of basic services and housing to all, infrastructure development, and an environment friendly growth are not addressed adequately.