Indian Cities Managing GrowthIndia is in a major phase of urbanisa- tion. No matter which figures you select, the urban population growth projections are incredible. In a 2006 report, India’s Registrar General sug- gested a rise of 248 million people living in cities between 2001 and 2026. The 2010 McKinsey Global Institute Report on ‘India’s Urban Awakening’ suggests a rise of 250 million citizens between 2008 and 2030. That means between 10 million and 11.4 million new people to be accommodated in Indian cities every year. This requires major planning and intense government focus at national, state and city level.
In 2005 the Government of India launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) to develop cities as engines of economic growth. The Mission follows on from the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 that strengthened decentralisation of the management of cities to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). There is a raft of other initiatives focused on the urban poor and cities generally. This publication aims to highlight and explain 11 excellent current examples of managing India’s rapid urban growth.