This paper reviews the current state of the literature on Indian urbanisation to analyse existing urban development trajectories at the state level.

The aim is to understand the challenges Indian cities face as well as the opportunities available to them to adopt transformative urban processes that can foster inclusive economic growth that is also low-carbon. The paper explores the role of (urban) energy, multimodal transport, smart infrastructure, green buildings, water and urban finance to explore how and to what extent states are able to balance economic growth, urbanisation and carbon emissions. The paper argues that pathways of urbanization that can help India achieve its carbon commitments without compromising on growth are possible and identifies four core policy pillars for a new growth model for Indian cities.

[Adapted from source]