New India: Centre Reviews 28 New City Proposals

The Government of India has announced that it has received 28 proposals from 23 states to develop new cities from scratch.

This ambitious move reflects a growing trend among states to address urbanization challenges by creating fresh urban hubs.

While this approach could foster economic growth, decongest major cities and create employment opportunities the focus must also shift toward improving existing urban areas.

Prioritizing slum redevelopment with upgrading infrastructure and enhancing livability in current cities should remain key concerns.

India's metropolitan hubs already burdened with overpopulation and resource constraints would greatly benefit from measures that address these challenges directly.

The concept of new cities is exciting but a balanced strategy combining innovative urban planning for new developments with targeted improvements in existing cities is crucial.

Sustainable and inclusive growth should remain at the heart of this initiative ensuring equitable progress across urban and rural landscapes.

Moreover, engaging the PPP (Public Private Partnership) is crucial to make this possible in the present scenario. We need to see how the governments of both state and center deal with this. 

There are countries like Saudi Arabia, that are focused on building new cities like NEOM, but the ambition is far to reach with current limitations and so that got slowed down.

So, along with aiming at the challenging new city- building, it is more appropriate to focus on developing the existing cities with right infrastructure and updated comfort.