Experts Convene in Delhi to Shape India's Sustainable Urban Development Agenda

BusinessWire India

New Delhi [India], November 20: The Delhi Chapter of the Alumni Association of NCE Bengal & Jadavpur University (AANCEBJUDC), in partnership with The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCC & I), in association with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), successfully hosted the Inaugural National Conference on "Sustainable Urban Transformation: Reimagining Resilient, Resource-Efficient & Responsive Cities." The conference brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, technologists, urban planners, sustainability experts, and next-generation innovators to deliberate on the future of India's urban transformation.

Delivering the Welcome Address, Ritwik Sengupta, President, AANCEBJUDC & Founder Partner, Nelsa Projects Consultants, underscored the vital collaboration between the Alumni Association and BCC & I in uniting industry, academia, policymakers, and key stakeholders on one platform. "This conference reflects our shared responsibility as alumni, professionals, and citizens. When industry insight, academic rigor, and policy direction come together, we create the collective intelligence needed to shape India's sustainable urban future."

Emphasizing on the collaborative action oriented intent required to shape India's urban future. Abhijit Roy, President, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Managing Director & CEO, Berger Paints India Ltd., said, "To make our urban future sustainable, we must do more than build greener buildings or smarter roads. We need to rethink how we live, how we move, how we consume, and how we plan. And most importantly, we need collaboration -- not in theory, but in practice."

The conference theme focused on building cities that are future-ready, economically vibrant, environmentally conscious, and people-centric--aligned with India's aspiration for Viksit Bharat 2047. "By 2030, more than 600 million Indians will live in cities. This scale of urbanisation leaves no room for incremental change--India must accelerate its shift toward integrated, intelligent and inclusive urban systems. If we are to achieve the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, our cities must become engines of efficiency, equity and environmental responsibility. True transformation demands collaboration that goes beyond intent and translates into on-ground action. This conference marks a decisive step toward uniting policy thinkers, industry leaders and innovators to build cities that are resilient, future-ready and centred on people," said Biswapriya (BP) Mukherjee, Programme Convenor, AANCEBJUDC & Founder & CEO, Oroprise Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

The inaugural session featured thought leaders and policymakers including Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority (CEA); Amrit Lal Meena, IAS & Former Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar & Former Secretary, Ministry of Coal; and Swapan Dasgupta, Former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Padma Bhushan Awardee (2015), who shared their insights on India's evolving urban imperatives.

The "Jadavpurians' Perspectives" session set the intellectual foundation for the conference, bringing together distinguished alumni to demystify the forward-looking conference agenda for sustainable urban transformation. Devdeep Bose, Consultant, STEAG Energy Services (India) Pvt. Ltd., discussed the key drivers shaping India's sustainable urban development journey. Anindita Roy Saha, Professor of Economics at Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, underscored the growing need for resilient and future-ready infrastructure.

Highlighting the centrality of people-focused digital transformation and financial technology, Sudeshna Das, Programme Co-Convener, AANCEBJUDC and Founder, KrishiCraft & Avahita Development Foundation, said: "To truly achieve Sustainable Development Goal 11 - Sustainable Cities & Communities, data, technology, and people must function as an interconnected triangle: where insights drive innovation, innovation empowers citizens, and empowered citizens propel sustainable change. Only then we can build cities that secure a better, more resilient future for the generations to come."

Santanu Roy, Principal Advisor, GPS Renewables, emphasized on the importance of sustainable habitat, while Srabani Biswas, Secretary, AANCEBJUDC, explained the Association's commitment to driving sustainable development.

The core session on Sustainable Infrastructure for Urban Transformation brought together sector leaders to outline a people-centric, future-ready approach to urban infrastructure. Ujjwal Kanti Bhattacharya, Managing Director, Steag Energy Services & Former Director, NTPC, emphasized the importance of human-focused infrastructure development, setting the thematic direction for the discussion. The session, moderated by Prof. Anindita Roy Saha, featured Mrityunjay Prasad, Sr. GM & RD, DVC, who spoke about enhancing sustainability within the fossil fuel supply chain. Asim Prasad, Co-Chairperson of the BCC & I Energy, Environment & Water (National) Committee and Executive Director at GAIL (India) Ltd., presented clean energy solutions vital for urban regeneration. Parveen Kumar Goel, Chief General Manager, EIL, highlighted sustainable water and waste management practices essential for resilient cities, while Tapan Kumar Bandyopadhyay, Chief Sustainability Officer & Executive Director, NTPC Limited, outlined sustainable approaches to power generation and township management.

The Digital Transformation: New Frontiers & Best Practices session, chaired by Debashish Bhattacharyya, Technologist (ERP), IIT BHU & Past President, Global PAN IIT Alumni, and moderated by Biswanath Sengupta, Co-Founder, Arthavedika, examined the evolving role of technology in shaping efficient, citizen-centric cities. Girish Kumar Surpur, Head Logistics, NEC, presented insights on the Smart City Mission and urban logistics, emphasizing the need for integrated systems to streamline mobility and services. Abhishek Srivastava, Senior Consultant, and Prasenjit Samanta, Practice Lead (GIS & Urban Solutions), Oroprise Solutions, showcased the power of digital intelligence and geospatial technologies in addressing complex urban challenges. Subimal Bhattacharjee, Independent Adviser on Cybersecurity, Defence & High-End Technology, underscored the rising importance of robust cybersecurity frameworks to protect digitally enabled citizen services in an increasingly interconnected urban landscape.

The Sustainable Habitat: Eco-friendly Redevelopment session, chaired by Mr. S. Radhakrishnan, Executive Director & President, Infinity Infotech Parks, focused on strategies for building environmentally sound and resilient urban habitats. Girish Ghildiya, Head Sustainability & New Energy, HPCL-Mittal Energy, discussed the transition toward solarizing the urban economy as a critical pathway to reducing carbon dependency. Anurag Chivilkar, Director & VP, Roofsol Energy, addressed the pressing challenges of urban air pollution and the need for scalable clean-energy interventions. Kaushik Dasgupta, Journalist at the Indian Express, examined the socio-environmental implications of Delhi's air quality crisis. The Session was moderated by Santanu Roy.

The conference concluded with a collective call to action--to create cities that are sustainable not just in infrastructure, but in spirit: cities that are cleaner, smarter, greener, more resilient, and deeply human-centered, leveraging the power of digital intelligence and emerging technologies.

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)