Introducing Urban Entrepreneurialism in India: An Analysis of Programmatic Interventions

Abstract

Urban local governments have transformed into entrepreneurial in three different but interrelated ways. First, the focus of the city agenda shifts from social policies to economic plans. As a consequence, the function of city governments also changes from delivering social welfare to promoting economic development. Second, different formats of public–private partnership working along with city governments have become popular ways of boosting local economies. Third, practices and discourses initiated by these public–private partnerships are proactive, innovative, and business friendly. City marketing, land-use design, image making, and competition with other cities are all cases in point. Indian cities, of late, are undergoing a sea change in terms of urban governance and financing policies. The JNNURM tried to bring about discipline among the city governments by linking fund disbursal ensuring compliance with reforms. The present government has launched several Mission programmes to promote urban development in the country through strict adherence to reforms and participating in competition at state and city levels to qualify for accessing resources. The government has laid down guidelines for the state governments and cities to become more business friendly. In this context, the paper reviews the programmatic interventions in urban India in a bid to make cities more attractive for global and domestic capital. The analysis has been done for the recently completed JNNURM and the newly launched Mission programmes. Finally, the guidelines for easing doing business in Indian cities have been overviewed.