Note from Storm: This article details the many forms of development activities that are exploding as India urbanizes. Another way of looking at them is as regenerative activities. India’s cities have vast capacity to accommodate larger populations without significant sprawl. But this will entail renewing, repurposing, and reconnecting these cities’ many natural, built, and socioeconomic assets that are encumbered by age, or by poor urban planning (or a total lack of planning).
From the article: Urbanisation in India is one of the major economic and population changes in the modern world. With a new middle class desiring more modern facilities and the provision of higher quality and more stable utilities such as water, electricity, security, ease of transport and civic spaces, the ability for existing city centres to cater for these needs has been limited.
The opportunities for companies to participate in the Indian urbanisation boom are in two areas:
In existing urban areas for upgraded infrastructure and utilities as these cities cope with both the increasing needs and demands of their populations
large scale developments happening on these cities peripheries as well as in the immediate regional areas – including “Smart Cities”.
The needs range from improved utility provision, efficiencies in water and electricity, new and improved transport provisions, and better waste management and sanitation, design and management, roads, public transport, upgraded utilities, management and municipal services and solutions to meet current environmental challenges.
[photo credit: Randy Olson]