New Delhi (Sputnik) — Among the BRICS member nations, India is the least urbanized, with just above 30 percent of its population living in urban areas. Brazil is at the other end of the scale, with over 86% living in urban areas, followed by Russia (72%), South Africa (61%) and China (44%).
While inaugurating the third BRICS Urbanization Summit in Visakhapatnam, Venkaiah Naidu, India's Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation said that efforts are being made by the country's central government, in consultation with all the stakeholders, to develop a 10-point strategy to bring about an urban renaissance. These initiatives will help India shed the ‘rural tag’ and ensure that it will be mostly “urban” by 2050.
Minister further said that “While redeveloping old urban areas, India can utilize China's experience with affordable housing techniques and Russia’s experience can be useful in the construction of large cities.”
Naidu was of the opinion that BRICS members should increase their cooperation by utilizing the knowledge and sharing their experience with each other to tackle the challenges associated with urbanization. He asserted that given the size of their economies, member nations can jointly address urban challenges, which could serve as a catalyst for global economic recovery.
