Connect Karo 2026: Agenda

The session aims to mainstream the conversation on public spaces in policy and academic discourse, in a broader effort to promote high-quality public spaces as essential infrastructure for inclusive cities. The session design will be underpinned by a people-centric and sustainable approach, with a view to reframe public spaces not only as sites of beautification, but also spaces that foster recreation, livelihoods, ecological restoration, and climate resilience.

This roundtable discussion will convene experts to examine pathways being adopted for a systems- and place-based understanding of how energy can be integrated within broader rural development processes, moving beyond a narrow focus on standalone technology deployment. It invites reflections on how energy systems interact with agri-food systems, the built environment, essential services (health, education, and productive-uses), rural mobility, and local governance to equitable development outcomes.

This session brings together two roundtables exploring how cities can shape travel behaviour and manage movement more effectively.
Part 1 will examine how behavioural science, technology, and targeted interventions can encourage public transport use and enable mode shift, drawing on learnings from STAMP: Nudging Commuter Behaviour.
Part 2 will explore approaches to managing crowding in high-footfall environments, drawing on the Varanasi experience to improve safety, accessibility, and the experience of residents and visitors.

How can NGOs make better decisions, at the right time, with the right people involved — while building compliance, governance and accountability through the project life cycle

With India’s next wave of urbanisation unfolding beyond recognised city boundaries, the session asks: who should plan, govern, and finance these emerging urban areas, and what pathways can enable this effectively?

India's green transition will also be a workforce transition, requiring significant investment in skills, capabilities and employment pathways. This session will explore how government, industry, philanthropy and development partners can finance the workforce behind this transition, with a focus on philanthropy's catalytic role in enabling innovation, inclusion and scale.

Faced with financial stress and demand for cheaper power, states are reforming electricity distribution via high-tension deregulation, or carriage and content separation. This lets large industrial consumers choose multiple suppliers while managing their own reliability services and market risks. The session will involve discussion on the contours of the proposal, implementation aspects and implications for the sector.
(By invite only)

This session will explore how small cities, home to over 40% of India’s urban population in 2011, serve as vital connectors between rural production systems and wider markets. Recognising that large-city models often fail to address their distinct realities, the session will examine place-based, adaptive approaches and the role of an alliance in supporting sustainable and resilient transitions in small cities.

The roundtable will introduce FIN-DRIVE – a platform to bridge India's transport sector and its financiers - through technical assistance, capacity building, project preparation support and evidence-based research.
(By invite only)

An engaging fireside chat, featuring Gurman Bhatia and Raj Bhagat Palanichamy, on how climate science and data can be transformed into clear, credible, and compelling stories that resonate with diverse audiences. Drawing from real-world examples of visual storytelling, speakers will discuss how data-driven narratives can make complex climate information more accessible, relatable, and impactful —bridging the gap between evidence and action.

Aviation and shipping are expected to be among the first sectors to adopt e-fuels, given the limited alternatives available for decarbonizing long-distance transport. However, widespread deployment will require overcoming challenges related to production, cost, infrastructure, and policy support. This session will bring together various stakeholders to discuss India's opportunities, key challenges, and the pathways for enabling the adoption and scale-up of e-fuels.
(By invite only)

The roundtable aims to identify practical, business-led pathways for increasing private-sector adoption of low-carbon cement and cement-based products in India, and to translate these into actionable priorities for the Decarbonisation Business Charter (DBC). 

The Data Lab is an immersive exhibition which will offer hands-on exposure to our range of open-access data tools.