Connect Karo 2019

By 2030, over half of India's population will be living in cities. Urbanization is strongly linked to economic growth and productivity, and other social indicators like education, health and access to services. It is estimated that by 2020, urban India will account for more than 70 percent of India’s GDP. However, if unplanned, urbanization can increase inequality and social fragmentation, and negatively impact the environment. Many cities today are grappling with declining air quality, increased vehicular congestion, and poor quality and access to essential public services.

The Indian government recognizes that if we are to grow our economy, improve social indicators, and protect the environment, sustainable urban development is crucial. Thriving cities will lead to a prosperous country. With this in mind, Connect Karo 2018, “Thriving Cities, Prosperous Countries”, will focus on high-level discussions on critical urban issues like transport, land-use, air quality, housing, and energy, to identify key levers that could be used to accelerate infrastructure delivery and achieve the goal of access to all by 2022, when India turns 75.

WRI India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Our work focuses on building sustainable and liveable cities and working towards a low carbon economy. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being..

We are inspired by and associated with World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research organisation with more than 1000 experts and other staff around the world.

At WRI India, we combine research, analysis and tools, along with direct engagement with decision-makers, to bring about sustainable change. All of our program teams draw upon cross-cutting disciplines - business, governance, finance and economics – to further their analysis and recommendations.

Our work can be viewed through two critical lenses — Urban Development and Climate — with four associated programs driving on-ground transformative change:

  • Sustainable Cities: Our largest program, we support Indian cities in their journey to be low carbon, resilient and inclusive through our work in 10 practice areas — Integrated Transport, Electric Mobility, Safer Roads, Sustainable Housing, Data-Led Urban Planning, Livable Neighborhoods, Climate Smart Cities, Clean Air, Water Resilience and Innovations and Startups.

  • Energy: We work towards India’s transition to clean energy while improving energy access and achieving higher levels of energy efficiency. The access to energy for health, livelihood and education, in predominantly rural regions, is one of our key focus areas.

  • Sustainable Landscapes and Restoration (SLR): We combine advances in knowledge, robust analysis and cutting-edge technology to provide innovative tools and strategies to protect, maintain and restore India’s forests and agricultural landscapes and rural livelihoods.

  • Climate: We inform businesses in the deployment of low-carbon technologies and practices, simulating and testing possible carbon markets. We also use modelling technologies to inform policymaking and evaluate green technologies in the Indian context.