Urbanization is not just about housing but ensuring ease of living; Need to revamp thinking on urbanization: Additional Secretary, Housing & Urban Affairs, GoI
Jul 24, 2025
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NEW DELHI, 24 July 2025: Ms D Thara, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Govt of India today, while addressing ‘FICCI Urban Challenge Summit & Urban Innovations Awards 2025’, highlighted the need to relook the way urbanization is comprehended. We need to change the way we view our land, and urbanization should adopt a new paradigm. It is not about providing housing, but it is about ensuring ease of living. The thinking needs to be revamped, and we need to have a contextualized, customized approach in the urban sector, she emphasized.
Ms Thara further stated that urbanization is growing at a rapid pace which is evident from the fact that the overall urbanization which happened in last 100 years, will happen in the next 20 years. We have to look at urbanization, not just from an urban development view, but also conserving the rural, agricultural land point of view. “We need to densify systematically,” she highlighted.
Speaking on the Summit’s theme – ‘Innovate, Integrate, Sustain’, the Additional Secretary added that we need to reimagine the urban area with the right set of principles and with the focus on just the financial identities but quality of living as well.
Highlighting the steps of the government, Ms Thara said that the government is working on formulating policy to rejuvenate historic and business city cores, which involves revitalizing its urban environment while preserving the cultural heritage. We are looking at how high-impact transformational projects help fix the legacy infrastructure, revitalizing cities as they are the economic hub, she added.
Dr OP Agarwal, Advisor, FICCI Working Group on Urban Development and Distinguished Fellow, NITI Aayog said that we need to look at innovations in the urban sector. “The urban sector is critical for India’s growth in the future and its fundamental,” he added.
Mr Vipul Roongta, Co-Chair, FICCI Committee on Urban Development & Real Estate and MD and CEO, HDFC Capital Advisors Ltd said that both housing and urban development must progress simultaneously to ensure that livability and affordability go hand in hand.
Mr JVS Ramakrishna, Co-Chair, FICCI Committee on Urban Development and Real Estate and Global BU Head- Sustainable World, L&T Technology Services Ltd said that the Smart Cities Mission has made significant progress in improving cities across India through smart technologies, sustainable solutions, and active community involvement. “The Mission has enhanced infrastructure, public safety, mobility, water supply, and healthcare,” he added.
FICCI-LTTS Whitepaper on ‘Protecting Urban & Critical Infrastructure with Threat Intelligence’ was released during the inaugural session.
6th Edition of FICCI Urban Innovation Awards were also announced at the Summit.
Mr Vikas Aggarwal, Partner-Consulting, Government & Public Sector, E&Y LLP; Mr Jagan Shah, CEO, Infravision Foundation and Former Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA); Ms Manisha Natarajan, Journalist, Content & Communications Strategist- Real Estate & Sustainable Built Environment also shared their perspective during the summit on urban challenge.