2 days ago
India's urban boom an opportunity to build sustainable cities: Former housing secretary
NEW DELHI: Urbanization must be viewed as an opportunity rather than a challenge to reshape Indian cities into sustainable and inclusive growth centres, said
Durga Shankar Mishra
, former Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), speaking at the
ASSOCHAM
Real Estate Conference 2025.
He noted that under the Viksit Bharat vision, India's urban population is expected to rise to approximately 880 million by 2047, highlighting the need for proactive, future-ready urban planning. "Real estate already contributes nearly 13% to India's GDP, with the
affordable housing
and development sector growing at nearly 10% annually," Mishra added, positioning the sector as a vital driver of national economic growth.
'By embracing progressive urban planning and infrastructure innovation, we can create environments that not only elevate the quality of life for millions but also steer the nation towards a more prosperous and resilient future,' Mishra said.
Gurjeet Singh Dhillon, director (AMRUT), highlighted that infrastructure development under the AMRUT mission is geared toward more than just physical assets. 'We are enabling cities to become engines of economic growth and social equity, through focused interventions in water supply, sanitation, green spaces, and urban mobility,' he said.
Meanwhile, Anna Roy, principal economic adviser, NITI Aayog, emphasized the need for convergence between digital public infrastructure and green urban transition.
'
Transit-Oriented Development
(TOD), municipal finance reforms, and grassroots-level capacity building are central to our vision for creating sustainable, resilient, and liveable cities,' she added.
