Eknath Shinde Calls for BRICS Urban Cooperation at Worli Conclave
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called for deeper city-to-city cooperation and technology sharing among BRICS nations during the inaugural session of the two-day BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave 2026 in Worli on Tuesday. Addressing the gathering, Shinde urged cities to move beyond dialogue and convert shared knowledge into action to tackle pressing urban challenges including climate change, flooding, traffic congestion, pollution, and affordable housing.
Highlighting state-level development efforts, Shinde stated that the Maharashtra government is giving fresh impetus to metro projects, roads, drainage, redevelopment, affordable housing, digital services, green infrastructure, and disaster management. He noted that these infrastructure projects span major cities across the state, including Thane, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Nashik, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, aiming to improve quality of life and create equal opportunities.
Shinde emphasised that urbanisation should be viewed as an economic growth engine rather than a problem. He noted that successful urban planning should be measured by easier commuting, clean air, safe housing, and an administration capable of assisting citizens during disasters, rather than merely tall buildings or attractive skylines. He also underscored the threat of climate change to coastal safety and public infrastructure, calling for technology-based planning, artificial intelligence in traffic management, and digital twin models.
Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma also addressed the conclave, encouraging BRICS cities to build prosperous, equitable, and human-centred urban centers. Varma called on participating delegates to translate dialogue into concrete partnerships that put citizens at the heart of international urban cooperation agendas.
Focusing on public transport infrastructure, Praveen Pardeshi, CEO of the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation and former additional chief secretary, revealed that daily ridership on BEST buses had dropped from 4.8 million to around 2.4 million. Pardeshi stated that the current operating fleet of 3,200 buses is far below the estimated requirement of 12,000 to 15,000 vehicles. To address this gap, he proposed rapid fleet expansion and electrification, backed by depot charging infrastructure and ring-fenced non-fare revenues such as congestion charges, parking fees, and commercial development above depots.
The BRICS Friendship Cities Conclave 2026, held on August 11 and 12, brings together city representatives, urban planners, policymakers, and experts from BRICS member states and partner nations. The event was organized by Mumbai First with support from the Government of Maharashtra and the Government of India. Leaders from Mumbai First, including chairman Narinder Nayar and vice-chairman Ashank Desai, also reiterated the commitment to developing wise cities and implementing locally rooted solutions to global urban issues.
