Budget's inclusive urban development plan could not have been more timely

The economic growth that we envisage for becoming a high-income country cannot be achieved if our cities are not planned in a way to reach their maximum potential

As India’s urbanisation picks up pace, with over 35 per cent of its population currently living in cities and over 50 per cent expected to urbanise by 2050, the government’s push towards prioritising urban development could not have been more timely. The Economic Survey and the Budget laid out the government’s vision for inclusive urban development, addressing needs such as affordable urban housing, job creation, specifically in the service sector, and improving the ease of living for both youth and the elderly. However, recent tragedies, including three young aspirants drowning in an illegal basement in the National