Devashish Dhar on Understanding the Indian City

Podcast Episode

Devashish Dhar on Understanding the Indian City

In this episode of Interpreting India, Devashish Dhar joins Anirudh Burman to discuss one of the most enduringly important subjects of modern India: the Indian city.

By Anirudh Burman and Devashish Dhar

Published on Oct 12, 2023

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Interpreting India, Devashish Dhar joins Anirudh Burman to discuss one of the most enduringly important subjects of modern India: the Indian city. How are India’s cities doing? What role will they play in India’s growth story? Is low-quality urbanization a binding constraint on India’s long-term development?

EPISODE NOTES

One of the most visible signs of India’s economic development in the past seventy-five years has been the growth of its cities. Some of them are now among the largest on the planet, both in terms of area and population. However, Indian cities are far from perfect. They’re often not well planned, coping with problems of rapid growth and inefficient use of land and other resources. Indian cities are also plagued by a lack of basic amenities, such as clean drinking water, sanitation, and solid waste management systems, as well as safety-related problems.

What is the scale of the challenges facing India’s cities? What are some of the ideas and themes that are unique to India’s experience of urbanization? What is the global significance of the trends underway in Indian cities?

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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