On July 1, 2025, the Development Alternatives Group hosted the Alt Urban Global Summit 2025 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The summit brought together stakeholders from academia, industry, civil society, and government to explore inclusive, climate-resilient pathways for urban development. It marked a milestone in the Alt Urban programme’s mission to enable one million green homes by 2030.

A key highlight was the Leaders’ Forum for Urban Transformation, which focused on the theme “Green, Affordable, and Grounded: Implementation Pathways for Climate-Responsive Housing.” Moderated by Mr. Rajiv Tikoo (Sustainability Karma), the discussion featured a diverse panel of experts, including Dr. Shailesh Agarwal (BMTPC), Dr. Bhaskar Natrajan (AEEE), Mr. Sanjay Seth (TERI/GRIHA), Dr. Soumen Maity (TARA), Mr. Balasubramanian Iyer (ICA-AP), and Dr. Priyanka Kochhar (The Habitat Emprise). They addressed policy reform, green building certification and incentives, and sustainable construction materials.

The summit also marked the culmination of the Alt Urban Housing Challenge 2025—a national design competition co-led by Development Alternatives and Dhun Life. Under the theme “Housing Redefined,” the challenge invited architects, planners, and designers to propose live-site solutions near Jaipur based on five core principles: ecological integration, community wellbeing, sustainable materials, integrated systems, and adaptability. A short film on the journey of the challenge was screened, followed by the release of the publication “Journey of the Alt Urban Housing Challenge” and the announcement of the winners and runner-up.

In the second half, the 28th edition of trialogue 2047, titled “Shaping Green Urban Futures,” explored long-term strategies for sustainable cities aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Mr. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, delivered the keynote, stating: “In line with the 2030 Agenda and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, India is advancing inclusive, climate-resilient housing at scale and pace. The UN in India is proud to partner with the Government, civil society, private sector, and others to foster inclusive, resilient, and greener urban futures. The Alt Urban campaign and its platform, trialogue 2047, could not be more timely.”

The panel that followed featured Ms. Shikha Shrivastava (Tata Trusts), Mr. Sarath Babu MG (NIUA), and Ms. Umit Bhatia (Asia-Pacific, JLL), in a conversation moderated by Mr. Shrashtant Patara, CEO, Development Alternatives.

The session also marked the launch of “Shaping Green Urban Futures,” a new publication developed in partnership with the Socratus Foundation for Collective Wisdom. Drawing from insights across 4,000 cities and towns, the publication asks: How can India’s cities grow without leaving people and the planet behind? It presents strategic, forward-looking frameworks for inclusive, circular, and climate-resilient urban development.

The summit closed with reflections on the transformative role of collaborative governance, people-centric design, and climate innovation in shaping India’s urban future.