New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- Cities shape people's lives-they're the places where people work, get educated, migrate to, raise families, earn a livelihood, and more. Beyond this, cities are central to economic growth. Yet, India's cities are mostly known for congestion, traffic jams and poor civic amenities.

The 2026 Economic Survey observes that India is far more urban in economic, functional and spatial terms than conventional definitions suggest, but cities lack the institutional, fiscal and planning foundations required for them to unlock their full potential, providing both quality of life for residents and economic benefits for the country.

By 2036, going by World Bank estimates, India's towns and cities will be home to 600 million peopl...