Future Cities Forum 2026: Governor lays out vision for citizen-centric urban India

Governor Kavinder Gupta laid out a vision for citizen-centric, sustainable urban development in India, addressing the inaugural session of Future Cities Forum 2026 in Pune, organised by Pune Times Mirror in collaboration with the Lexicon Group under the theme “India’s Cities: Leading the Growth of Viksit Bharat.”

Gupta said the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 can be realised only when Indian cities emerge as centres of innovation, good governance, sustainability, technological excellence and human values, stressing that future cities must be smart as well as inclusive, environmentally responsible and citizen-centric.

He said India stands at a defining moment in its history, with aspirations extending beyond economic growth to building a prosperous, self-reliant and developed nation, and that cities must become engines of economic growth, centres of innovation and models of sustainable development to support that goal.

Gupta called for urban centres that are inclusive, safe, clean, green and environmentally sustainable while preserving India’s cultural heritage alongside modern infrastructure, and said meaningful progress requires collaboration among governments, urban local bodies, industry, educational institutions and civil society.

He expressed confidence that the forum’s deliberations would generate practical ideas capable of influencing public policy, and wished Future Cities Forum 2026 success as a catalyst for innovation and sustainable urban development.