India’s Urban Population to Reach 600 Million by 2036: Primus Partners Report

• 
  
  Urbanization
  on
  the
  Rise:
  India’s
  urbanization
  rate,
  which
  stood
  at
  31%
  in
  2011,
  is
  expected
  to
  hit
  40%
  by
  2036,
  with
  urban
  areas
  contributing
  75%
  to
  the
  GDP.

• 
  
  Current
  Urban
  Challenges:
  Cities
  are
  grappling
  with
  infrastructure
  gaps,
  rising
  housing
  demands,
  and
  the
  impacts
  of
  climate
  change.

• 
  
  Lessons
  from
  the
  Past:
  The
  urban
  planning
  principles
  of
  the
  Indus
  Valley
  Civilization
  can
  help
  guide
  improvements
  in
  today’s
  cities.

India’s
rapid
urbanization
is
creating
significant
challenges,
from
infrastructure
gaps,
increase
in
pollution
levels
to
rising
affordable
housing
demands
and
the
growing
effects
of
climate
change.
By
2036,
urban
areas
are
expected
to
contribute
75%
to
the
country’s
GDP,
highlighting
the
need
for
effective
solutions.
In
its
new
report,

‘Reviving
Ancient
Wisdom:
Lessons
from
the
Indus
Valley
Civilization
for
Modern
Urban
Planning
in
India’,

Primus
Partners
looks
back
at
the
urban
planning
practices
of
the
Indus
Valley
Civilization
(IVC)
to
address
these
modern-day
town
planning
and
infrastructure
development
issues.

The
IVC
cities,
like
Harappa
and
Mohenjo-Daro
utilized
grid-based
for
planning
of
layouts,
advanced
water
management
systems,
multi-functional
public
spaces
and
climate-conscious
building
practices.
These
strategies
could
help
solve
current
urban
challenges,
and
the
report
recommends
integrating
them
into
today’s
urban
planning.
The
authors
urge
a
shift
in
policy
to
create
more
sustainable
and
liveable
urban
spaces,
inspired
by
these
time-tested
methods.

Key
insights
of
the
report
include:

1. 
   
   
   Historical
   Urban
   Planning:
   The
   Indus
   Valley
   Civilization
   (IVC)
   featured
   cities
   like
   Mohenjo-Daro
   and
   Harappa,
   which
   were
   organized
   into
   grid
   layouts
   covering
   approximately
   3.5
   km²,
   housing
   tens
   of
   thousands
   of
   residents,
   demonstrating
   effective
   urban
   planning
   and
   management.

2. 
   
   
   Water
   Management
   Systems:
   The
   IVC
   had
   advanced
   water
   management
   systems,
   with
   a
   significant
   number
   of
   common
   wells
   for
   each
   cluster
   of
   houses
   while
   connecting
   each
   house
   with
   underground
   drainage
   network
   channelling
   drainage
   to
   trunk
   network,
   emphasizing
   the
   need
   for
   modern
   infrastructure
   to
   meet
   Sustainable
   Development
   Goal
   (SDG)
   6,
   which
   aims
   for
   universal
   access
   to
   clean
   water
   and
   sanitation.

3. 
   
   
   Standardization
   in
   Development:
   Implementing
   standardized
   benchmarks
   can
   improve
   urban
   governance;
   for
   instance,
   cities
   with
   clear
   regulatory
   frameworks
   have
   shown
   a
   30%
   increase
   in
   compliance
   with
   urban
   planning
   standards.

4. 
   
   
   Climate
   Resilience:
   According
   to
   the
   Global
   Climate
   Risk
   Index,
   India
   ranks
   7th
   among
   countries
   most
   affected
   by
   climate
   change,
   underscoring
   the
   urgency
   for
   cities
   to
   adopt
   climate-resilient
   strategies
   to
   mitigate
   risks.

5. 
   
   
   Lessons
   for
   Future
   Growth:
   With
   India’s
   urban
   population
   projected
   to
   reach
   600
   million
   by
   2036,
   effective
   urban
   planning
   inspired
   by
   the
   IVC
   could
   help
   manage
   this
   growth
   sustainably,
   potentially
   reducing
   urban
   sprawl
   by
   25%
   through
   integrated
   planning
   approaches.

Despite
India’s
urban
growth,
its
cities
still
face
major
hurdles.
No
Indian
city
ranks
in
the
top
100
of
the
Global
Liveability
Index,
and
even
Bangalore,
India’s
top
city,
scored
only
66.7
on
the
Ease
of
Living
Index
developed
by
Ministry
of
Housing
and
Urban
Affairs,
emphasises
the
need
to
revisit
how
we
plan,
develop
and
manage
our
cities.
The
IVC’s
approach—focusing
on
planned
layouts,
sustainability,
advanced
infrastructure,
climate
resiliency
and
public
spaces—offers
valuable
lessons
for
overcoming
today’s
challenges.

Practical
recommendations
from
the
IVC
include
adopting
well
planned
layouts
for
better
traffic
flow,
upgrading
sewer
systems
for
improved
sanitation,
increasing
green
spaces
to
enhance
quality
of
life,
and
using
climate-appropriate
approaches
and
materials
to
reduce
energy
consumption.
These
strategies
can
help
cities
become
more
resilient
and
prepared
for
future
needs.

Aarti
Harbhajanka,
Co-author
of
the
study,
emphasized,
“To
truly
move
forward,
we
need
to
take
a
moment
and
look
back.
The
urban
planning
practices
of
the
Indus
Valley
Civilization
offer
insights
that
are
relevant
today.
By
understanding
how
these
ancient
cities
were
built,
we
can
create
more
sustainable,
liveable
urban
spaces
that
meet
the
needs
of
our
growing
population.”

Sandeep
Reddy,
Co-author
of
this
report,
commented,
“Believe
it
or
not,
the
key
to
building
smarter,
more
sustainable
cities
today
might
lie
in
ancient
history.
The
Indus
Valley
Civilization’s
urban
planning—thought
to
be
centuries
ahead
of
its
time—holds
lessons
that
still
apply.
By
revisiting
how
these
cities
were
structured,
we
can
uncover
innovative
solutions
to
the
urban
challenges
we
face
now
and
in
the
future.”

To
view
report,
click

here.

About
Primus
Partners
Pvt.
Ltd.

Primus
Partners
Pvt.
Ltd.
is
a
leading
management
consulting
firm
based
in
New
Delhi,
with
offices
across
India
and
a
growing
presence
in
the
UAE.
Specializing
in
sectors
such
as
technology,
public
policy,
and
impact
advisory,
Primus
Partners
provides
innovative
solutions
to
drive
sustainable
growth
for
both
public
and
private
sector
clients.
With
its
expertise
in
Idea
Realisation
and
sectoral
leadership,
the
firm
is
at
the
forefront
of
consulting
in
India’s
rapidly
evolving
economy.

For
more
information,
visit

www.primuspartners.in.