New urbanisation should be done in line with sustainable development: Niti Aayog CEO

India's urban population will grow rapidly by 2050, so new urbanisation should be done on the back of sustainable development, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Thursday.

India's urban population will grow rapidly by 2050, so new urbanization should be done on the back of sustainable development, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Thursday. He said that cities in India are at a stage of massive development with a growing economy, regional linkages, and a vibrant environment.

Kant was speaking at the virtual launch of the 'Nationally Determined Contributions -Transport Initiative for Asia- the India Component'. "In India, we are at the beginning of the urbanization process... India's urban population will grow rapidly by 2050, so new urbanization should be done on the back of sustainable development," he said.

The Niti Aayog CEO said there is also a massive opportunity for India to push for sustainable, clean, connected, cutting-edge, and shared mobility solutions, as these shall define the future of mobility in the country. He added that in India, there are 20 cars per 1,000 people but in the case of USA, they have 800 cars per 1,000 people.

"India's urbanization should be designed for people, not for cars," Kant said. He emphasized that India will have to make proactive policies to promote e-mobility. "If you can solve India's transportation problem, you can solve the world's transportation problem."