Recent U.S. hike in H-1B visa fees offers India an opportunity to attract global talent and develop livable and globally competitive cities.
India’s Urban Potential & Its current status:
- Economic Engines: Only 15 Indian cities contribute nearly 30% of India’s GDP.
- Strengthening them could add about 1.5% to national growth annually.
- Future Growth Drivers: India already has the world’s second-largest urban system and by 2036, urban areas will be home to 40% of the population
Major Urban Challenges
- Pollution and Mobility: India has 6 out of the 10 most polluted cities globally with issues like Vehicular emissions, construction dust.
- Solid Waste Management: Only 26% of collected solid waste is scientifically treated and mixed waste remains largely uncollected.
- Water Scarcity: 40–50% of piped water is lost due to leakages and inefficiencies.
- Urban Density and Housing: Affordable housing shortage could triple to 31 million units by 2030, issue of low Floor Space Index (Increases urban sprawl).
- Floor Space Index (FSI), also known as Floor Area Ratio (FAR), is the ratio of a building's total built-up area to its plot area
- Other Issues: Congestion and Mobility, weak local governance and outdated regulations (Niti Aayog).
Proposed Way Forward
|
