Challenges in Metropolitan Management: the Indian Experience

With a population crossing a billion and more than five thousand cities, India is one of the largest markets in the world. Three of the fifteen most populated cities in the world are situated in India—Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata. Although the metropolitan areas contribute a major chunk to the growth and income of the nation, only 52 per cent of urban households have tap water, only 741 out of 1000 urban dwellers have access to toilets, and 77 per cent of the urban households are covered by closed surface drainage. Faced with these major challenges, can Indian cities find the revenues they need to improve services? Are they financially viable and self-sustaining? This talk aims to discuss these issues.