Industry Agenda The Future of Urban Development & Services: Urban Development Recommendations for the Government of India

The report assesses India's urban development challenges, noting a significant infrastructure funding gap of $80–110 billion. It recommends integrating spatial planning across national, state, and city levels, creating a stable regulatory environment to attract private investment via public-private partnerships (PPPs), and establishing institutions to grow the manufacturing sector and white-collar employment. The document also analyzes India's competitiveness, highlighting low technological readiness and a narrow manufacturing base.

• India faces a massive urban infrastructure investment requirement of approximately $640.2 billion until 2031, with a funding gap estimated between $80 billion and $110 billion.
• India's urban population is projected to grow from 410 million (32% of the population) in 2014 to 814 million (50%) by 2050.
• India ranks 71 out of 144 countries in the Global Competitiveness Index 2014-2015, scoring lowest among BRIC nations in infrastructure (3.6), innovation (3.5), and technological readiness (2.7).
• The report recommends that the Government of India develop a national spatial strategy by the end of 2015 to integrate housing, strategic infrastructure, and urban infrastructure across national, state, and city levels.
• To attract private investment, India must address 'renegotiation risk', streamline permitting processes, and create a standard methodology for risk allocation in public-private partnerships (PPPs).
• India's economic structure is characterized by a low manufacturing share of less than 15% of GDP and a service sector where most jobs are low-skilled and poorly paid.
• The '100 Smart Cities' programme focuses on improving mobility, energy efficiency, and 24/7 access to basic services, with 96 of the 100 cities expected to be brownfield projects.
• The report suggests creating 'lighthouse' projects and institutions to stimulate capacity building and attract white-collar talent to prevent brain drain and grow businesses.

APA

World Economic Forum (2015). Industry Agenda The Future of Urban Development & Services: Urban Development Recommendations for the Government of India. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_IU_FUDS_Urban_Development_Recommendations_Government_India_Report_2015.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Industry Agenda The Future of Urban Development & Services: Urban Development Recommendations for the Government of India. 2015. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_IU_FUDS_Urban_Development_Recommendations_Government_India_Report_2015.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Industry Agenda The Future of Urban Development & Services: Urban Development Recommendations for the Government of India |date=April 2015 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_IU_FUDS_Urban_Development_Recommendations_Government_India_Report_2015.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2015industry, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Industry Agenda The Future of Urban Development \& Services: Urban Development Recommendations for the Government of India}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2015}, month = apr, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_IU_FUDS_Urban_Development_Recommendations_Government_India_Report_2015.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }