About Us
City Connect is a collaborative platform catalyzed by Business for Civil Society and Government to work together to make cities more liveable.
Our cities face similar problems across the country - traffic, water shortage, pollution, garbage etc. The solution set is reasonably well known. What is needed is local initiative to make it happen. The idea of City Connect is enable this partnership across various urban stakeholders: Industry, Citizens, Government, NGOs, Resident Welfare Associations, etc.

Context:
Increasingly, the urban quality of life is under stress given rapid growth affecting all sections of society. Ad hoc approaches to fix immediate problems have not yielded lasting results and the city problems continue to fester. It is realized that if the city does not work, local businesses will suffer. Consequently business entities need to find ways to engage with the subject of urban governance – it is as integral to the business profitability as focusing on talent, raw material and processes. Further, the initiative needs to be inclusive - benefits for all citizens.
Any city needs to work for all its citizens, more so for the urban poor and under privileged sections of society. For what chance of the middle class dream to materialize if maids, drivers, vegetable vendors, garbage handlers and more do not make it on time day after day. Spare a thought for their lives and you will see the need to put them at the centre of city planning. Priorities will gravitate towards drinking water, clean sanitation, safe pedestrian walkways, reliable public transport, low cost housing, land title issues, street lighting, waste management, local culture, etc. All of these are the basic building blocks of a livable city.
Private industry and Government is keen that cities improve and their appeal as an investment destination is maintained. They desire improvement in physical infrastructure and social indicators. Private industry is often willing to engage with the government (political, administrative) provided a suitable platform can be crafted. The proposed City Connect platform catalyzed by CII under its ‘India@75’ urbanization initiative is a suggested response to this issue.
The City Connect platform has scope for the following members:
- Companies: They take the lead in setting up the platform and also arrange to fund the monthly requirements through sponsors. This fund is required to bring in urban professionals to address the myriad city issues and work on projects identified in conjunction with political and administrative government leaders.
- Industry associations: Interested associations can be part of the platform. While CII under India@75 is taking the lead to make it happen, the platform is an inclusive one for all associations to come together on city issues.
- Community service groups: NGOs (Particularly those involved in urban issues and with pro-poor focus), Resident welfare associations, Social clubs like Rotary, Lions, etc.
- Educational institutions: Schools and colleges.
Typically the City Connect spending is restricted to pilot projects, proof of concept and providing designs. The serious spending on identified and designed projects is to be done by the Government authorities.