At the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit held in Mumbai on Nov. 12-14, Ajit Gulabchand, HCC's chairman and managing director, spoke about the need for cities to have autonomy for self-governance to ensure speedy infrastructure development. “Not just Mumbai, but all cities and towns need a strong mayor and a proper council,” he said.

Jamshed Irani, former director, Tata Sons, Mumbai, adds: “Sustainable development is low on the list of politicians who have vested interests and look at cities as vote banks." As consumption patterns rise, India needs to consider long-term city master plans, he says.

Slums represent a major challenge. Mumbai is on course to be the world’s largest city by 2030. Currently, 65% of the population of 22 million live on 8% of the land and only 35% of the sewage is treated, according to the ">Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC), Mumbai.

“Technology is nonexistent," says Sheela Patel, SPARC's founder. "Cities have no accurate register and spatial recognition of where people live," she adds.

Politicians still do not know how to represent poor people, says Patel. When humble dwelling are considered, developers look at its market value. "We allow local lords to take over the role of the government. "Slum upgrades do not mean demolition,” she adds.

The new urban agenda, according to Sanjiv Rai, managing director of Rapid MetroRail Gurgaon, and ITNL ENSO Rail Systems, is now experimenting with a high-speed transit system. An example is the Delhi metro, which is used by 2 million people each day. However, as the shift from roads to metros happens, the dilemma for funding remains. An elevated metro can cost up to $50 million per kilometer, says Rai.

However, experts caution that speed is not enough. They say risks of rapid urbanization in terms of design, safe construction and the risk of a bubble economy should be kept in mind.