Unlocking Economic Growth through Urbanisation: Policy Perspectives and Strategies

Abstract : India's current level of urbanisation falls short of the standards necessary to achieve its ambitious goal of becoming a 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2025. As of 2021, only 35.4% of the population resides in urban areas, with just 30 percent of districts classified as urban. India's performance falls significantly short in critical metrics, including access to clean drinking water, use of sanitation facilities connected to sewer networks, annual exposure to PM 2.5, and the proportion of the population living in slum settlements, when compared to other developing countries. India's urbanisation process is plagued with chaos and a lack of regulation, stemming from inadequate legislative management, underfunding of existing cities, and a shortage of affordable housing. Well-planned urbanisation can serve as a catalyst for promoting industrialisation and development. Therefore, it is imperative for India to address the challenges of unplanned urbanisation and poor city management by implementing effective policies and corrective actions to ensure high economic growth and employment.