Category Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies

Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) Loan Schemes across Indian States

Policy Update, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Gender Impact Studies Center, Insights

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) emerged in India during the early 1980s as a response to the persistent exclusion of rural poor, particularly women, from formal financial systems. Traditional banking institutions required collateral and formal documentation that marginalized communities lacked, forcing them to depend on informal moneylenders who charged exorbitant interest rates. The SHG model drew inspiration from Muhammad Yunus's Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, which demonstrated that group-based lending without collateral could achieve high repayment rates through peer monitoring and social pressure. Self-Help Groups have, therefore, emerged as one of India's most transformative instruments for women's financial inclusion and economic empowerment. This represents one of the world's largest community-based financial inclusion initiatives.

IMPRI Desk
October 5, 2026

Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Policy(2016): Assessing Investment, Implementation and Policy Outcomes

Insights, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for the Study for Finance and Economics, Economy and Infrastructure, Public Policies, Programs and Schemes

Industrial Context of Bihar Before 2016

Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Policy (BIIPP), 2016 emerged from the need to increase the role of industry in Bihar's economic development. The original policy described Bihar as primarily agrarian while arguing that a stronger secondary sector was necessary for inclusive economic development. The policy document recorded that Bihar's GSDP at constant prices had grown by an average of 10.5 per cent annually between 2005–06 and 2014–15, but industrialisation remained an important policy concern. It identified Bihar's location near the markets of eastern and northern India, access to ports such as Kolkata and Haldia, agricultural resources and availability of labour as potential advantages for industrial development.

IMPRI Desk
October 4, 2026

Construction & Infrastructure Equipment Manufacturing Initiative (2026)

Policy Update, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for Work and Welfare, Economy and Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Innovation, Insights, Urbanization, Habitat, Transportation and Regional Development

India’s growing investment in infrastructure has increased the need for modern and technologically advanced construction equipment. Machinery used in buildings, metro projects, roads and other large infrastructure works forms an important part of the country’s capital goods sector. As infrastructure development expands, strengthening India’s ability to manufacture such equipment domestically has become increasingly important. The Union Budget 2026–27 proposed public capital expenditure of ₹12.2 lakh crore, reflecting the government’s continued focus on infrastructure-led growth.

IMPRI Desk
October 3, 2026

Girl Child Promotion & Welfare Schemes: A State wise Analysis

Insights, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Gender Impact Studies Center, Gender, Pluralism and Social Inclusion, Livelihoods, Employment and Well-being, Policy Update, Social Sector

India has introduced a wide range of schemes to support the education, safety, health and economic development of girls across different states and union territories. Despite significant progress in female education and social development, girls in India continue to face structural barriers linked to poverty, early marriage, school dropout, inadequate healthcare and limited economic opportunities. These challenges are not uniform across the country and often vary by state, region, caste, income and rural or urban location. Government schemes for girls have therefore evolved as targeted policy responses to address different dimensions of disadvantage, from educational access and financial support to health, protection and skill development. A state wise comparison is therefore important to assess whether differences in programme design, coverage and delivery are reflected in measurable outcomes such as school retention, delayed marriage, financial autonomy and gender related indicators.

IMPRI Desk
October 2, 2026

Ease of Living Index (2018): Assessing Urban Governance and Quality of Life in Indian Cities

Policy Update, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for Human Dignity and Development, Center for ICT for Development, Economy and Infrastructure, Insights

The Ease of Living Index (EoLI) is a Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) assessment tool designed to help Indian cities evaluate themselves against global and national benchmarks and to encourage a shift toward outcome-based urban planning and management. MoHUA launched the first edition on August 13, 2018, describing it at the time as more than just a ranking exercise, an open and participatory assessment combining self-reported data with physical audits of urban metrics, intended to create a baseline for evidence-based urban policy debate (PIB, 2018).

IMPRI Desk
October 1, 2026

BRICS Tourism Cooperation under India’s 2026 Chairship: Priorities and the Jaipur Declaration, August 2026

Insights, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Economy and Infrastructure, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, International Relations and Strategic Studies, Policy Update

The BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting under India’s 2026 Chairship concluded on 21 August 2026 with the adoption of the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Communiqué 2026, known as the Jaipur Declaration, following Tourism Working Group meetings in May and August. Nine BRICS member states participated in the ministerial meeting, with four represented at the ministerial level and four by the Heads of Delegation, alongside India. The Declaration’s 15 clauses combine more specific areas of cooperation on travel facilitation, connectivity and digital technologies with broader commitments on artificial intelligence, sustainability, skilling, qualifications recognition and tourism exchanges (BRICS Tourism Ministers, 2026). The central challenge is implementation. Tourism is delivered largely through businesses, local communities and workers, while the Declaration relies substantially on voluntary cooperation, national priorities and available resources. The key task for India is therefore to convert the more concrete commitments into working arrangements while giving its broader priorities enough institutional structure to survive the transition to China's chairship in 2027.

IMPRI Desk
October 1, 2026

Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Development Initiatives and Quick Impact Projects (2023–24): Elevating India–Pacific Partnerships

Insights, Center for Habitat, Urban and Regional Studies, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies, Economy and Infrastructure, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, International Relations and Strategic Studies, Policy Update, South Asia Studies Center

The Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was established in November 2014 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Fiji, marking a transformative shift in India's diplomatic and economic engagement with the South Pacific. Comprising India and 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs): Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, FIPIC was created to address the unique development priorities of these island nations through structured, action-oriented plurilateral cooperation.

IMPRI Desk
September 30, 2026