How Can State Urban Policies Manage India’s Rapid Urban Transition?

New Delhi, Sep 2 (NationPress) As India gears up for a future dominated by urban living, experts emphasized that state-level urban policies will play a vital role in addressing the disparities in how cities are defined, governed, and planned.

Debolina Kundu, Director at the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), pointed out Kerala’s detailed urban policy report, stating, “Around 35 percent of India’s population resides in urban areas, one-third in rural zones, while the remaining live in transitional regions. This highlights the necessity of state urban policies, which can identify these transitional areas and embrace definitions that are more adaptable and prepared for the future.”

During the Plenary Session at WRI India’s prominent event, Connect Karo 2025, she illustrated this with Kerala’s statistics: while 48 percent of its population was effectively urban in 2011, only 26 percent was recognized as such through administrative definitions. The rest were dispersed across census towns forming the urban agglomeration.

Kundu also noted that while the Census offers a static view every decade, states can enhance this with ongoing evaluations of urban and peri-urban shifts. Such an approach enables timely spatial planning, focused infrastructure investments, and efficient resource mobilization.

Discussing the importance of constructing climate-resilient infrastructure in urban areas, Umamaheswaran Rajasekar, Advisor for Urban Resilience at the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), remarked, “Seventy percent of infrastructure losses are due to hydrometeorological events — a figure that will escalate with climate change, complicating management further.”

He added, “For example, storm drains necessitate ongoing investment and upkeep. Building resilience encompasses not just physical infrastructure but also empowering communities to endure and recover from such shocks.”

Connect Karo 2025 unites leaders devoted to pivotal issues surrounding sustainable cities, clean energy, food, land and water, as well as climate action and finance.

The two-day gathering hosts over 150 thought leaders, experts, academics, scientists, and civil society members to deliberate on the pressing development and environmental challenges of our era.

The event features a broad array of sessions covering themes like urban resilience, economic development, air quality, India’s clean energy transition, food waste, public spaces, heat mitigation, flood management, green skills, and much more.

Additionally, the event included “Stories that Matter,” a dynamic exhibition showcasing the effectiveness of people-centered strategies in addressing climate and development challenges.

Regarding the significance of the gathering, Madhav Pai, CEO of WRI India, stated, “At Connect Karo, WRI India gathers key stakeholders to foster discussions on clean energy, food systems, public spaces, mobility, and net-zero transitions — fundamental components of India’s low-carbon, resilient, and equitable future.”

“We are not only on track but ahead in fulfilling our climate obligations,” affirmed BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, during Connect Karo 2025.

“India is embarking on an unparalleled journey to evolve into a developed nation by 2047 while pursuing a low-carbon route. No other country of our magnitude has ever undertaken such an endeavor, and the Indian Development Model has the potential to serve as a global benchmark.”

Subrahmanyam further stated, “Despite contributing merely 3-4 percent of cumulative global emissions, India is among the most climate-vulnerable nations, facing catastrophic floods, heatwaves, and various impacts annually. We are on track to meet our climate commitments. The challenge now is to make projects feasible to unlock the trillions required for a green transition.”