Urbanisation in India: Spatial Transitions, Growth Trajectories, and Good Practices

The recent UN report (World Urbanisation Prospects, 2025) suggests that the world is far more urban than what official national definitions capture. Against this backdrop, the presentation highlights India’s growth trajectory and emerging transitional areas using geospatial approach (DEGURBA methodology). It also discusses the challenges and opportunities of urbanisation regarding planning and financing, housing affordability, infrastructure provision, environmental sustainability, mobility constraints, and governance coordination. It highlights Indian good practices that illustrate practical and scalable responses to the challenges, which offer policy-relevant insights for steering sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready urbanisation in cities of the Global South.