India's Next Cities — an executive briefing.
A boardroom-grade exchange between India's senior urban decision-makers and the institutions shaping the next chapter of its cities — staged at the World Cities Summit.
India is in the middle of a generational reset of how it plans, capitalises and delivers cities. The next decade decides whether it compounds — or stalls.
This briefing puts the people doing the work in one room: policy architects, capital allocators, city builders. Three questions, ninety minutes.
Policy. Capital. Delivery.
Programme
- 11:00
Welcome
Anupam YogFounder, Next Cities Academy - 11:03
Executive Frame
India's Next Cities: the case for a generational reset.
Sanjeev SanyalMember, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister - 11:13
Briefing 1 — Policy
How is India changing the way it plans, governs, and builds capacity for cities?
Dr. Debolina KunduDirector, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)- Anshul Mishra, IASAdditional Director, AIIMS; ex-Member Secretary, CMDA
- Manas RathFounder, Better Place Foundation
- Chirayu J. BhattDeputy Provost, CEPT University
- 11:36
Briefing 2 — Capital
What kind of capital does a next city need?
Rohan SikriChairman, ULI India; Managing Partner, Xander Group- Hugh LimExecutive Director, Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore [tbc]
- Digvijay Singh KathiwadaChairperson, Kathiwada Foundation
- Banchhanidhi Pani, IASMunicipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad
- 11:59
Briefing 3 — Delivery
Who builds and runs a city — and what does “delivered” mean now?
Nipun SahniChairman, ULI Delhi District Council; Founder, REZONE Investments- Keshav Varma, IAS (Retd.)Chairman, High-Level Committee on Urban Planning, Government of Gujarat
- Manvendra Singh ShekhawatFounder, Dhun Life
- Dr. Sameer Sharma, IAS (Retd.)Former Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh
- 12:22
Executive Takeaway
Synthesises across the three briefings; bridges into the luncheon and the Singapore Urban Learning Lab.
Manasvini HariharanExecutive Director, ULI India - 12:27
Close
Institutional close; bridge into the luncheon and the Singapore Urban Learning Lab.
Peter HylandChair, Leadership for Cities - 12:30
Luncheon reception
Continued conversation across the delegation, WCS counterparts, and the curating partners.
Leadership for Cities, with the High-Level Committee on Urban Planning (Gujarat), NIUA, and ULI India. Developed in collaboration with the Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore.
The Singapore
Urban Learning
Lab.
The briefing opens a four-day arc. Delegates who wish to go deeper continue into the Singapore Urban Learning Lab — site visits and focused sessions across planning, housing, water, mobility, and ecological infrastructure, paired with India-specific working sessions.
Read the Lab programme