Purvi Narayan
In an era of rapid urbanization, India’s cities stand on the cusp of transformation. From revamping water systems to building smarter mobility networks, the nation needs robust infrastructure guided by forward-looking public policy. India’s cities are at a critical juncture. With rapid urbanization expected to push nearly 600 million Indians into cities by 2036 (NITI Aayog, 2023), the need for sustainable infrastructure has never been more urgent.
But the question is not just how much we build, it is how we build and who we collaborate with to do so. Traditional domestic policies alone can no longer keep pace with the demands of modern urbanization. Increasingly, public diplomacy, the conversations, agreements and collaborations between India and foreign governments, is shaping the future of India’s infrastructure policies. When ambassadors visit Indian states, they often bring with them technologies, investment proposals and urban governance models that are reshaping Indian cities.
Public Diplomacy Meets Public Policy
Public policy defines the blueprint for India’s urban development, but diplomacy now influences its execution. The integration of these two domains is visible in flagship initiatives like the Smart Cities Mission and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), where multiple foreign governments partner with India to co-create innovative urban solutions.
For example, Japan has emerged as one of India’s strongest infrastructure partners. Through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tokyo is funding major projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train, the Delhi Metro expansion and recently, a sister-city agreement between Ahmedabad and Hamamatsu. This agreement covers waste management, digital infrastructure and sustainable transit, demonstrating how city-to-city diplomacy drives policy innovation at the municipal level.
Likewise, Denmark’s Green Strategic Partnership, launched in 2020, integrates technology-driven solutions into India’s water, energy and urban infrastructure policies. Cities like Panaji and Udaipur are already testing Danish urban-planning models, including sustainable drainage and renewable energy integration. When I interacted with the Ambassador of Denmark to India, I learned how Denmark is piloting smart water management systems in collaboration with municipal bodies- real-world examples of diplomacy guiding local policy frameworks.
Denmark’s partnership under the Strategic Sector Cooperation on Water connects with India’s Jal Jeevan Mission, for instance, there is a tripartite initiative between IIT-BHU, the Government of India and Denmark called the Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers (SLCR) in Varanasi to rejuvenate the Varuna river, backed by funding from both the Jal Shakti Ministry and Denmark.
India’s urban transformation is increasingly embedded within the web of international diplomacy, where collaborations transcend bilateral agreements to create shared platforms of knowledge transfer, technological adaptation and policy innovation. The Netherlands, through its Strategic Water Partnership with India, is co-developing a Centre of Excellence for Water at IIT Delhi, focusing on Urban water and river management, Artificial Intelligence and Geospatial Technologies, Modelling and Managing River Dynamics, Monitoring and Modelling of Water Quality and River Economy and Finance.
These engagements highlight how sectoral diplomacy is not merely symbolic but actively aligned with India’s developmental priorities, particularly in managing water stress and ensuring sustainability in urban growth.
Beyond bilateral cooperation, multilateral initiatives further demonstrate the strategic depth of urban diplomacy. The City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS 2.0 program), co-funded by France and Germany, channels €200 million into sustainable urban development projects, advancing waste management, energy-efficient housing and smart mobility solutions across selected Smart Cities. Together, these examples underscore how diplomatic engagements provide India’s cities with access to advanced technologies, financing models and institutional know-how, ensuring that urban transformation is not an isolated domestic endeavor but part of a wider, globally embedded policy dynamic.
Navigating the Complexities of Urban Diplomacy
Despite notable gains, integrating diplomacy with public policy remains fraught with complexity. Regulatory fragmentation across central, state and municipal levels frequently slows implementation, while institutional gaps limit the technical capacity of cities to absorb advanced foreign technologies. Added to this are governance challenges surrounding data privacy, technology dependence and the long-term financial sustainability of imported solutions. Without robust policy frameworks and institutional support, even well-intentioned diplomatic initiatives risk remaining confined to pilot projects rather than achieving systemic transformation.
Integrating Global Partnerships for Urban Futures
To overcome these barriers, India must strategically harness diplomacy as a catalyst for policy innovation in urban governance. Establishing city-level innovation hubs for testing foreign technologies in controlled environments, supported by strong monitoring and evaluation systems, would bridge the gap between experimentation and large-scale adoption. Urban diplomacy frameworks such as formalizing city-to-city partnerships, Centres of Excellence for infrastructure solutions that integrate global expertise and municipal-level policy think tanks co-creating adaptive governance models, are key to ensuring sustainability. Such measures will embed international collaborations within national urban strategies, enabling India to shape truly future-ready cities.
Conclusion
India’s urban future will not be defined by concrete and steel alone, but by the strength of its ability to integrate diplomacy with public policy. As partnerships with countries like Japan, Denmark, the Netherlands and multilateral initiatives such as CITIIS 2.0 show, diplomatic engagements are increasingly central to how Indian cities access technologies, finance, and governance models. Yet, the challenge lies in moving beyond fragmented pilot projects toward systemic transformation. By institutionalizing urban diplomacy through innovation hubs, Centres of Excellence and city-level think tanks, India can translate global partnerships into enduring policy frameworks. If diplomacy is strategically aligned with public policy, India’s cities can not only meet the pressures of rapid urbanization but also emerge as global models of sustainability and resilience.
About the Contributor: Purvi Narayan is currently a Host and Visiting Researcher at the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), where she facilitates policy dialogues and research on governance, gender and international relations.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
Acknowledgement: This article was posted by Aashvee Prisha, a research intern at IMPRI.
Read more at IMPRI:
Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Outreach Programme: Promoting Excellence since 2010
