Leading world to a sustainable future

The ’Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign mobilised citizens across the country in an unprecedented manner and one could see the Tricolour on roof tops, terraces and balconies of millions of homes and business establishments all over the country. Over six crore selfies of citizens with the national flag have been uploaded.
India is celebrating the 75th Anniversary of its independence in a fitting manner with huge participation by citizens. While it is an occasion to look back with satisfaction on the achievements of the country since independence, it is also an opportunity to build upon the past and create a leadership role for India on the global stage. India and Indians have been making increasingly greater contributions to build a better life for people all over the world. Among the most impressive recent examples is the COVID-19 vaccine leadership role played by India in developing, producing and efficiently distributing vaccines for the Corona Virus within the country and across the globe including the developed world. This leadership role drew applause from world leaders and organisations such as the WHO. This achievement in the field of science and importantly in the area of life saving intervention is a matter of pride for every Indian. Another area where India is emerging in a leadership role is in the renewable energy space. Government policy framework is driving large scale public and private sector investment in the sector in traditional wind and solar, as well as the new green hydrogen spaces. One can see rapid scaling up in the size of projects to create world class capacities. We are well ahead of the targets agreed upon at international forums. India already has achieved over 40 per cent of renewables share in its installed capacity of 400 GW, beating the 2030 deadline. The new enhanced target is to achieve 500 GW or 50 per cent share of renewables in the energy mix by 2030. Clearly India has a leadership role to play yet again, this time to enable a sustainable future and a greener planet for all.
The ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebration and the clarion call for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ have served to unleash the potential for innovation and creativity in various spheres and place the country in a strong position and equip us for meeting the challenges of the future. The challenges could be in several areas including clean air (pollution), sustainable mobility, environment protection, water security and above all, meeting the aspirations of a growing population. Cities are likely to bear the brunt of these challenges and at the same time also produce, lasting, innovative solutions. Policymakers and city managers must gear up and marshal all their resources in crafting effective, lasting solutions in order to create a sustainable future for the world.
In this issue of Urban Update, we cover several aspects of the 75th Anniversary celebrations as well as some of the challenges the country could face. We believe that this issue could serve as a memorable one with valuable insights.