Context: The potential of digital technology to transform urban India, the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and municipal bonds as financing instruments for cities and effective urban transportation planning are some of the key issues highlighted by the India Infrastructure Report 2023.

Key highlights of the report

• The report, a collaborative effort of the IDFC Foundation, Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Ltd. (iDeCK) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), also focuses on floor space and land price regulation in India as as pivotal component of effective urban governance.

• The report noted that while India has led in PPPs, especially in roads, ports, airports and energy, few PPPs have happened in the urban sector.

• The potential of digital technology to transform urban India, the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and municipal bonds as financing instruments for cities and effective urban transportation planning are some of the key issues highlighted by the India Infrastructure Report 2023.

• The report, a collaborative effort of the IDFC Foundation, Infrastructure Development Corporation (Karnataka) Ltd. (iDeCK) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), also focuses on floor space and land price regulation in India as as pivotal component of effective urban governance.

• On the transformative potential of digital technology in shaping the urban landscape of India, the focus areas include the concept of ‘smart cities’ and the significance of performance ranking criteria, while the examination of financial dimensions of urban development emphasise on PPPs, the financial sustainability of urban local bodies, and the efficacy of municipal bonds.

?Housing and migration

• The document also delves on housing and migration. “It is only the vast movements that took place during Covid-19 that brought home to governments both Central and states the very large role of migrant labour in India,” it said.

About IIR 2023

• The India Infrastructure Report (IIR) 2023 contains 25 chapters by prominent names in the urban development and policy ecosystem on the current state of urban development in India.

• This annual publication has been instrumental in identifying and analyzing legal, fiscal, regulatory, technological, social, and conceptual aspects related to contemporary themes relevant to infrastructure development. 

• This makes it an invaluable resource for those involved in formulating urban policy, as well as for those interested in the development of India's infrastructure and urbanization, such as policy makers, investors, academics, financiers, and multilateral agencies.

Key Highlights of the India Infrastructure Report 2023

• Spotlight on the transformative potential of digital technology in shaping the urban landscape of India. Focus areas include the concept of ‘smart cities’ and the significance of performance ranking criteria.

• Examination of financial dimensions of urban development, with a special emphasis on public-private partnerships (PPPs), the financial sustainability of urban local bodies, and the efficacy of municipal bonds as potent financing instruments.

• Urban transportation planning and urban redevelopment as pivotal components of effective urban governance through transit-oriented development, efficient urban goods movement, and floor space and land price regulation in India.

IDFC

• IDFC Foundation is a not-for-profit institution, working on philanthropic initiatives in social infrastructure. 

• As part of its development agenda, IDFC Foundation also carries out focussed research, policy advocacy and capacity building across the spectrum of infrastructure sectors. 

• It has, in the past, brought out various publications and research papers, which provide the platform for ushering in fresh perspectives and frameworks for infrastructure development in the Indian context.