Mukesh all for a local touch in urban planning

PANAJI: Urging policy-makers to frame guidelines according to local needs for planned development of Indian cities, Mukesh Ambani, chairman, Reliance Industries, observed on Friday that cities are emerging as the new meeting points for ���informal and formal��� economic growth.

���We need to strike a balance between pricing and affordability. Why can���t cities become the place for leisure also?��� was his poser at the inauguration of the first EuroIndia Forum, Urban India 2020: Investing in the future of Indian Cities, here on Friday. While stating that cities are the meeting place for people-to-people interaction, Mr Ambani underlined the need to modernise India with the help of European expertise. ���We can take a leap forward by learning from their mistakes. Let���s not repeat them,��� he added.

An NGO formed in 2001 through joint efforts by present Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former French prime minister Raymond Barre, the EuroIndia Forum looks to bring Europeans and Indians together for a shared future. Close to 200 delegates from the European Union (EU) and India, including businessmen, academicians and politicians, will deliberate on ways to invest for a prosperous future for India.

The seminar is expected to look at newer avenues for developing business in areas like water supply and waste management, urban transportation, civic governance and town planning. It would also home in on some specific urban infrastructure projects and discuss methods to promote citizens��� involvement in city planning.