Sustainable urban development in India: a tale of two Mahindra World Cities

About fourteen percent of the total world population lives in India. Approximately 350 million people live in urban and peri-urban areas. With the country’s urbanization rate currently being 2.5 per year, it is estimated that around 600 million people will be living in towns and cities by 2030. Developing sustainable urban conglomerations is a key priority for India’s growth and development. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) launched in December 2005, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) launched in June 2015, Smart Cities Mission launched in 2015 are all evidence of the government’s active engagement toward economic and social development of cities in India. There is growing awareness of the great potential that exists in business development models that are environmentally sustainable. Additionally, following a low-carbon development path with help toward achieving various Sustainable Development Goals including #3 (good health and wellbeing), #6 (clean water and sanitation), #7 (affordable and clean energy), #9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and #11 (sustainable cities and communities)...