Delighted to interact with a knowledgeable gathering of experts & students of public policy in the concluding session on the theme

Jan 20,2024

Delighted to interact with a knowledgeable gathering of experts & students of public policy in the concluding session on the theme “The Challenge of Energy Transition & the Cities of Tomorrow” at the 1st Pune Public Policy Festival at Gokhale Institute in Pune today. 

I shared how the govt led by PM Narendra Modi Ji has corrected the historic neglect towards planned urbanisation and urban infrastructure and invested over 11 times of the capital spent during 2004-14. 

Any discussion on India’s journey towards becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’ is incomplete without discussing two of its most urgent demands - facilitating a just energy transition which meet our economic demands & adhere to climate change & sustainability goals; along with planning & managing a rapid urbanisation which will see more than 400 million Indians added to our cities in the next 25 years. 

Since 2014, development has become a national project where every stakeholder is participating eagerly. Transformational progress in biofuel blending, sanitation, urban affordable housing, energy access, digital connectivity, & financial inclusion have led to an unprecedented ‘saturation of service’.

In addition to time, transitioning towards decarbonisation also requires calibrated, nuanced measures that ensure developmental targets are not compromised for a ‘net-zero’ future.