Delivering the valedictory address at the 2nd National Urban Conclave, Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog, called for a fundamental overhaul of urban governance, planning, and financing to drive the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047. Highlighting India’s ongoing demographic transformation—where the urban population is projected to surge from 50 crore to 85 crore by 2050—he emphasized that meeting future infrastructure, housing, and service demands requires a radical shift in how Indian cities operate.
Addressing historical neglect, Gauba noted that post-2014 flagship initiatives like Smart Cities, AMRUT, PMAY, Swachh Bharat, and DAY-NULM have led to a 10-fold increase in the urban budget, alongside ₹3.7 lakh crore invested in public transit. To further transform cities into economic crucibles, NITI Aayog is advancing its Growth Hub initiative, supported by the ₹1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund and a five-year budget allocation of ₹5,000 crore for each of seven selected city economic regions.
Central to his reform agenda is genuine political and administrative devolution to city governments. Citing the joint NITI Aayog–MoHUA report Moving Towards Effective City Governance, Gauba advocated for directly elected mayors with fixed 5-year terms, a Mayor-in-Council system, and timely municipal elections. He urged states to devolve all 18 functions under the 74th Amendment—including master planning, water supply, and traffic management—asserting that cities cannot be effectively governed from state capitals. He also stressed the need for fiscal self-reliance through regular State Finance Commissions and improved property tax and user-charge recovery.
Finally, Gauba called for modernizing urban planning frameworks to lower housing costs and spur business activity. He urged states to remove restrictive FAR rules and building norms, adopt mixed-use zoning, utilize land pooling, and implement transit-oriented development. To address the needs of migrant workers, students, and young professionals, he encouraged all states to enact the Model Tenancy Act to boost the rental housing supply, concluding that empowered municipal leadership is essential to unlocking India’s full economic potential.
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