The Centre has shelved the ambitious ₹8,000‑crore greenfield cities scheme, marking a significant shift in national urban strategy. Instead, it will redirect funds towards upgrading smaller towns with populations under 100,000 to promote more sustainable and inclusive urban development. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has decided to withdraw the greenfield plan recommended by the 15th Finance Commission.
This strategic shift, supported by deliberations with NITI Aayog and the Asian Development Bank, signals a recalibration towards equitable, eco‑friendly expansion. Until recently, the greenfield cities scheme had attracted 26 proposals, including from Ayodhya, Assam’s Jagiroad, and Gujarat’s GIFT City. With state governments even commencing local investments, the plan had gained momentum. However, the Prime Minister’s Office, after consulting inter‑ministerial groups, assessed that reinforcing and densifying existing towns could yield more immediate and scalable improvements — particularly under the Centre’s 100‑day urban agenda rolled out in early 2024.
Accordingly, the Centre will now bolster the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) programme, which provides interest‑free loans for capital projects tied to reform measures. Townships under this model are envisaged as compact, self‑contained communities extending existing cities or industrial belts, offering a greener and more resource‑efficient alternative to building entire cities from scratch. MoHUA is also designing a flagship ₹100,000‑crore “urban challenge” fund, which is expected to prioritise smaller municipalities with 50,000–100,000 residents. This ambitious fund aligns with the new paradigm, focusing on upgrading existing infrastructure rather than creating stand‑alone greenfield developments.
Critics of the greenfield model cite several cautionary tales: Lavasa, the under‑occupied Maharashtra township; the still‑quiet streets of Naya Raipur; and the underwhelming growth at Gandhinagar and GIFT City. Ahmedabad’s official notes that “artificial cities seldom work when detached from organic economic agglomerations.” Instead, he urges strengthening core urban zones through targeted densification and transit‑oriented development, calling for legal and policy tools to enable such renewal. Similarly, R. Srinivas, former MoHUA town planner, points out the limited success of the early brownfield pilots under AMRUT’s local area planning initiative. He urges stronger legal frameworks at the state level to support integration of dense infill and redevelopment, lessons that can guide the new strategy.
Environmental and social justice experts also welcome the change. Official expert emphasises that peri‑urban and small towns are vital to sustainable urban GDP growth. “Integrated services, eco‑governance and community‑centric planning must go beyond city limits,” they assert. This recalibrated approach dovetails with the country’s larger net‑zero carbon ambitions, offering a route to decarbonise urban expansion through incremental, retrofit‑based transformation. By focusing on smaller towns, the Centre is targeting areas often neglected in urban policy, while creating replicable models for infrastructure delivery across India’s hinterland. Interest‑free SASCI loans could help states finance upgrades in water supply, sanitation, roads, waste management and green transport, blending city‑centric ambition with rural‑town pragmatism.
However, the success of this revised scheme will depend on effective state integration, clear reform benchmarks, and transparency. Infrastructure upgrades must reach communities swiftly to maintain local buy‑in and deliver equitable impact. Additionally, the planned ₹100,000‑crore fund will have to balance ambition with adaptability, ensuring resources cater to the diverse needs of towns across India. This recalibration mirrors global lessons on sustainable urbanisation. From Tokyo’s suburban densification to Europe’s retrofit‑led redevelopment, cities worldwide now prefer making existing urban assets smarter and greener, rather than launching untested new towns. India’s policy shift places it on a tested path of inclusive, eco‑friendly growth—one that values regeneration as much as expansion.
As the greenfield cities scheme gives way to renewal‑focused frameworks, the government’s next steps will be crucial. How SASCI schemes are deployed, how the “urban challenge” is operationalised, and how states anchor reforms will determine whether this pivot will catalyse high‑impact, zero‑carbon urban transformation.
