New Delhi, Jun 11: The 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum commenced in New Delhi on Thursday under India’s chairship, bringing together ministers, senior government officials and urban development experts from BRICS member countries to discuss strategies for building inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities.
The two-day forum, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, is being attended by delegates from Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Inaugurating the forum at Sushma Swaraj Bhavan, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal said the platform offered an opportunity to place urban development more prominently within the global development agenda. He highlighted inclusive urbanisation, climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure, institutional strengthening and digital innovation as key pillars of India’s development journey.
The forum is being held under the theme “Cities for People: BRICS Cooperation for Inclusive and Resilient Urban Futures”. India is hosting the BRICS Urbanisation Forum for the fourth time, having previously hosted editions in New Delhi in 2013, Visakhapatnam in 2016 and virtually in 2021.
Welcoming the participating delegations, Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Srinivas Katikithala said the forum had evolved into an important platform for sharing best practices, understanding diverse governance systems and fostering long-term cooperation among member countries.
During the inaugural session, Manohar Lal released a publication titled “India’s Urban Transformation: Stories of Change”, which showcases selected urban development initiatives and experiences from states and Union Territories across the forum’s four priority areas.
The opening session was followed by a high-level plenary chaired by the Union Minister, where member nations presented country statements and deliberated on common urban challenges, opportunities and future aspirations.
On the sidelines of the forum, India and Russia held a bilateral meeting co-chaired by Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu and Yury Mutsenek, Deputy Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities of the Russian Federation. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in sustainable urban development.
Both sides reviewed progress on a proposed Memorandum of Understanding on Sustainable Urban Development and expressed commitment to expediting its finalisation. Discussions covered urban planning, affordable housing, municipal infrastructure, sustainable construction technologies, capacity building and the exchange of best practices in urban governance.
Separate bilateral meetings were also held between Iran and Russia, Iran and China, and Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
Delegates later visited select urban development projects in and around New Delhi, including the New Parliament Complex and the India Gate-Kartavya Path precinct, to gain first-hand insights into India’s urban transformation initiatives.
The first day of the forum concluded with a cultural programme and networking dinner.
