ABOUT THE EVENT

For a decade, the Capacity Building Project on Low Carbon and Climate Resilient City Development in India (CapaCITIES) programme has been at the forefront of driving low- carbon, climate-resilient urban development in cities across the country. Launched in 2016 and funded by the Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan, the programme was technically implemented by ICLEI South Asia, South Pole and econcept, in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). By directly strengthening local capabilities, CapaCITIES has played a vital role in supporting India’s overarching objective of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, aligning local urban action with national missions and state- level climate goals.
The event ‘Scaling Urban Climate Resilience: The CapaCITIES Legacy and Way Forward’ will mark the conclusion of a decade-long journey. This convening will serve as a critical platform to reflect on emerging approaches, share implementation experiences, and set the stage for future urban sustainability initiatives. Participants will explore strategic opportunities for scaling climate action across Indian cities while reviewing key lessons and success stories from partner cities and states under the CapaCITIES programme.

Our Speakers

Shri Gopal Prasad

Shri Gopal Prasad

Economic Adviser, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Thiru Veer Pratap Singh_ Trichy_ Commissioner

Veer Pratap Singh, IAS

Municipal Commissioner, Tiruchirappalli

Banchhanidhi Pani

Banchhanidhi Pani, IAS

Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

Manisha Khatri, IAS

Manisha Khatri, IAS

Municipal Commissioner, Nashik Municipal Corporation

Shri Amrutesh Kalidas Aurangabadkar, IAS_Ahmedabad

Amrutesh Kalidas Aurangabadkar, IAS

Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

Isha kalia IAS, Joint Secretary_Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Isha Kalia, IAS

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Shreya Singh

Shreya P. Singh, IAS

Joint Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation

Emani Kumar

Emani Kumar

Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI and Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia

Debolina Kundu_NIUA

Dr. Debolina Kundu

Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs, India

maya-tissafi

H.E. Mrs. Maya Tissafi

Ambassador of Switzerland to India and Bhutan

Philippe Sas_SDC

Philippe Sas

Head of International Cooperation and Counsellor, Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan

Hans-Peter Egler_South Pole

Hans-Peter Egler

Senior Director, Sustainable Infrastructure, South Pole

Rajnish Ahuja_AfD

Rajnish Ahuja

Head of Urban Transport and Urban Development Team, AfD

Jai Kumar Gaurav_GIZ

Jai Kumar Gaurav

Senior Advisor, Climate Change and Circular Economy, GIZ

Sujatha Srikumar

Sujatha Srikumar

Director, Powertec Infrastructure and Financial Advisory Services

Mehul Patwari_IIFCL Projects Ltd

Mehul Patwari

Chief Executive Officer, IIFCL Projects Limited

Dr. Vivek Gupta

Dr. Vivek Gupta

General Manager – Finance, Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited

Dr Dhruba Purkayastha_Dalberg

Dr. Dhruba Purkayastha

Senior Adviser - Climate and Environment, Dalberg

Kiran Kumar Avadhanula_KfW

Kiran Kumar Avadhanula

Senior Urban Sector Specialist, KfW

Prof. Saswat Bandhopadhyay_CEPT

Prof. Saswat Bandhopadhyay

Professor, CEPT

Ridhima Sud_SDC

Ridhima Sud

Senior Advisor for Climate Change, Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan

Sonal Daftuar_Youth Ki Awaaz

Sonal Daftuar

Senior Program Manager, Youth Ki Awaaz

Tushar Shrihari Shinde

Tushar Shrihari Shinde, IFS

Assistant Mission Director, Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission (TNCCM)

Lise Breuil_AfD

Lise Breuil

Country Director, Agence Française de Développement

Rajendra Singh_NDMA

Rajendra Singh

Ex-Member and HoD, NDMA

Santosh Tiwari

Dr. N. Muthusamy

Asst. Prof. and Faculty (Urban Planning & Environmental Studies), Tamil Nadu Institute of Urban Studies

Our Speakers

Shri Gopal Prasad

Shri Gopal Prasad

Economic Adviser, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

maya-tissafi

H.E. Mrs. Maya Tissafi

Ambassador of Switzerland to India and Bhutan

Shri Amrutesh Kalidas Aurangabadkar, IAS_Ahmedabad

Amrutesh Kalidas Aurangabadkar, IAS

Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

Banchhanidhi Pani, IAS

Banchhanidhi Pani, IAS

Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

Debolina Kundu_NIUA

Dr. Debolina Kundu

Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs, India

Dr Dhruba Purkayastha_Dalberg

Dr. Dhruba Purkayastha

Senior Adviser - Climate and Environment, Dalberg

Emani Kumar

Emani Kumar

Deputy Secretary General, ICLEI and Executive Director, ICLEI South Asia

Hans-Peter Egler_South Pole

Hans-Peter Egler

Senior Director, Sustainable Infrastructure, South Pole

Isha kalia IAS, Joint Secretary_Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Isha Kalia, IAS

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Jai Kumar Gaurav_GIZ

Jai Kumar Gaurav

Senior Advisor, Climate Change and Circular Economy, GIZ

Kiran Kumar Avadhanula_KfW

Kiran Kumar Avadhanula

Senior Urban Sector Specialist, KfW

Lise Breuil_AfD

Lise Breuil

Country Director, AFD

Manisha Khatri, IAS

Manisha Khatri, IAS

Municipal Commissioner, Nashik Municipal Corporation

Mehul Patwari_IIFCL Projects Ltd

Mehul Patwari

Chief Executive Officer, IIFCL Projects Limited

Dr Muthusamy

Dr. N. Muthusamy

Asst. Prof. and Faculty (Urban Planning & Environmental Studies), Tamil Nadu Institute of Urban Studies

Philippe Sas_SDC

Philippe Sas

Head of International Cooperation and Counsellor, Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan

Rajendra Singh_NDMA

Rajendra Singh

Ex-Member and HoD, NDMA

Rajnish Ahuja_AfD

Rajnish Ahuja

Head of Urban Transport and Urban Development Team, AFD

Ridhima Sud_SDC

Ridhima Sud

Senior Advisor for Climate Change, Embassy of Switzerland to India and Bhutan

Santosh Tiwari

Prof. Saswat Bandhopadhyay_CEPT

Prof. Saswat Bandhopadhyay

Professor, CEPT

Shreya Singh

Shreya P. Singh, IAS

Joint Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation

Sonal Daftuar_Youth Ki Awaaz

Sonal Daftuar

Senior Program Manager, Youth Ki Awaaz

Sujatha Srikumar

Sujatha Srikumar

Director, Powertec Infrastructure and Financial Advisory Services

Tushar Shrihari Shinde

Tushar Shrihari Shinde, IFS

Assistant Mission Director, Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission (TNCCM)

Thiru Veer Pratap Singh_ Trichy_ Commissioner

Veer Pratap Singh, IAS

Municipal Commissioner, Tiruchirappalli

Dr. Vivek Gupta

Dr. Vivek Gupta

General Manager – Finance, HUDCO

Publications

Access to Climate Finance - A Trainer's Guidebook

Climate Investment Planning for Indian Cities A Guidebook

Energy Transition for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in India A Practitioners Guidebook

Facilitating the Transition of Cities in India Low-Carbon Pathway-Whitepaper

Net-Zero ClimateResilientCities Methodology Toolkit-web

Sustainable Urban Lake Restoration A Practitioner’s Guidebook

Ahmedabad

Gallery