India’s Urban Population to Reach 600 Million by 2036: Report Suggests Ancient Wisdom Can Help Reduce Urban Sprawl

Mumbai: A new report by Primus Partners, ‘Reviving Ancient Wisdom: Lessons from the Indus Valley Civilization for Modern Urban Planning in India’, suggests that India’s urban population is expected to reach 600 million by 2036, with urban areas contributing 75% to the country’s GDP.

The report highlights the challenges faced by Indian cities, including infrastructure gaps, rising housing demands, and the impacts of climate change. To address these challenges, the report recommends adopting urban planning principles from the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), such as grid-based layouts, advanced water management systems, and climate-conscious building practices.

By integrating these strategies into modern urban planning, the report suggests that urban sprawl can be reduced by 25%. The report’s authors emphasize the need for sustainable and liveable urban spaces, inspired by the time-tested methods of the IVC.

Key findings of the report include:

• The IVC’s urban planning principles can help address modern-day challenges in Indian cities.
• Implementing standardized benchmarks can improve urban governance.
• Climate-resilient strategies are crucial for Indian cities, given the country’s vulnerability to climate change.
• Effective urban planning inspired by the IVC can help manage India’s rapid urbanization sustainably.

The report’s authors, Aarti Harbhajanka and Sandeep Reddy, emphasized the importance of learning from ancient wisdom to build smarter, more sustainable cities.