Day 1 — Friday, 12 Sep 2025
High Level Political Forum : Minister’s Roundtable
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Hon’ble Minister for Local Self Governments, Excise and Parliamentary Affairs, Kerala
Keynote Address
Chairperson, Kerala Urban Policy Commission
Panelists - International Ministers
Minister of Economy and Cuba Planning, Cuba
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, South Africa
Minister of Cities, Government of Brazil
Minister of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia
Minister for National Development, Singapore
Minister of Housing and Settlements, Indonesia
Panelists - International MPs
Member of German Bundestag
Member of House of Commons, United Kingdom
Member of Parliament, Newzeland
Member of Seychelles National Assembly
Member of National Council (Switzerland)
Panelists - Ministers - India
Minister for Municipal Administration, Tamil Nadu
Minister for Urban Development and Housing, Goa
Minister for Home, Power, Urban Development, Education & Training, Delhi
Minister for Urban Development & Energy, Uttar Pradesh
Minister of State for Urban Development, Maharashtra
Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs, Assam
Minister for Urban Development & Housing Department, Bihar
Dy. Chief Minister & Minister Urban Administration & Development, Chhattisgarh
Minister for Urban Local Bodies, Haryana
Minister for Urban Development & Public Works, Himachal Pradesh
Minister for Urban Development & Housing, Jharkhand
Minister for Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation, Mizoram
Minister for Housing & Urban Development, Odisha
Minister for Local Government, Punjab
Minister for Housing & Urban Development, Punjab
Minister for Urban Development, Rajasthan
Minister for Urban Development, Sikkim
Hon’ble Minister Janab Firhad Hakim
Economic Growth Hubs : Perspectives & Case Studies
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Senior Advisor, NITI Aayog, Government of India
Co-Chair
Principal Secretary, Industries
Keynote Address
CEO & MD, National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation
Panelists
Commissioner, New York City Department of Environmental Protection (The Fourth Regional Plan for New York-New Jersey-Connecticut Metropolitan Area)
Vice Chairman & Managing Director, CIDCO (Mumbai International Education City)
CEO, World Resources Institute (WRI) India (Surat Economic Region)
Vice Chairman, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (Greater Bhubaneswar Region)
Policy Session 1 : Spatial Planning & Urban Development
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Lead Member, KUPC
Keynote Speaker
Additional Secretary, MoH&UA, Government of India
Speakers
Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning, Newcastle University, UK
Sector Coordinator, Urban Infrastructure and Disaster Risk Management, World Bank
Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University
Moderator
Associate Professor, Architecture & Planning, NIT Calicut
Rapporteur
Urban Fellow, KILA School of Urban Governance
Policy Session 3 : Habitat & Built Environment
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Lead Member, KUPC
Keynote Address
Director (Urban), LSGD
Speakers
Board Chair, Global Designing Cities Initiative
Director, Centre for Conscious Design, Philadelphia
Architect / Activist, Public Open Spaces, Mumbai
Moderator
Dean, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
Rapporteur
Urban Fellow, KILA School of Urban Governance
Role of Information Industry & Media in Urban Governance
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Director General, Doordarshan, Government of India
Panelists
Managing Director, Mathrubhumi, Kozhikode
Executive Editor, Malayala Manorama
Chairman, Asian College of Journalism, Chennai
City Editor, The Guardian, London, UK
Urban Affairs Editor, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Regional Director, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) Kottayam
Senior Journalist, Economic Times
Head of New Delhi Office, Rosa - Luxemburg Stiftung
Urban Policy : Engagement of Academic & Research Communities
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Director (Additional Charge), National Institute of Urban Affairs
Panelists
Director, SPA Vijayawada
President, CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Chairman, CoE in Urban Planning & Design, NIT Calicut
Chairperson, CoE in Urban Planning & Design, IIT Kharagpur
Chairman, CoE in Urban Planning & Design, SPA Delhi
Associate Professor, Ashok Desai Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay
Senior Consultant, Indian Institute of Human Settlement (IIHS)
Associate Professor, School of Public Policy, IIT Delhi
Urban Chair Professor, Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Assistant Professor, SIRP, MG University
Assistant Professor, Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Urban 2050 : Capacity Development Agenda
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Member, Capacity Building Commission
Co-Chair
Former Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala
Keynote Address
Regional Director, Asia and the Pacific, UN-Habitat
Panelists
Director General, Administrative Staff College of India
Centre Director, National Centre for Urban Affairs, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA)
Director General, Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Associate Professor, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
Policy Session 2 : Climate Resilient Urbanisation
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Lead Member, KUPC
Keynote Address
Former Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala
Speakers
Professor, Royal Holloway, London & Lead Author for IPCC AR7 Special Report on Climate Change and Cities
Director General, Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, New Delhi
Member Secretary, KSDMA
Moderator
Director, Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research, CUSAT
Rapporteur
Young Professional, KILA School of Urban Governance
Waste-2-Wealth : Paradigm Shift in Urban Waste Management
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Project Director, Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP)
Co-Chair
Executive Director, Suchitwa Mission
Panelists
Executive Director, WASH Institute
Project Director, Sustainable Urban Development - Smart Cities II (SUDSC II), GIZ
Regional Director, BORDA South Asia
Chief Operating Officer, Saahas Zero Waste, Bangalore
Roundtable on Creative Economy
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Director - South India, British Council
Co-Chair
Joint Secretary, Creative Economy, Ministry of Culture, Government of India
Panelists
Mayor of Kozhikode
Mayor of Jaipur
Mayor of Hyderabad
Mayor of Varanasi
Chief Executive, Exim Bank
Urban Chair Professor, Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Roundtable on Inclusive Urban Governance
(60 Minutes)
Chair
Deputy Project Director, KSWMP
Panelists
Director, Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA)
Asia Strategic Lead, Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)
Senior Associate Professor, CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Senior Urban Fellow, Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)
Policy Session 5 : People, Culture & Heritage
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Lead Member, KUPC
Keynote Address
Special Secretary, LSGD
Speakers
Co-Founder of the Safetipin, New Delhi
Adjunct Associate Professor, CEPT University
Director, Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development (C-HED), Kochi
Moderator
Associate Dean, SPA Bhopal
Rapporteur
Urban Fellow, KILA School of Urban Governance
Policy Session 6 : Health & Well-being
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Lead Member, KUPC
Keynote Address
Principal Secretary, Women & Child Development Department, Government of Kerala & Member Secretary, Kerala Urban Policy Commission
Speakers
Expert Member, Kerala State Planning Board
Global Lead - Urban, UNICEF
Director, Eurpoean Urban Knowledge Network
Moderator
Head, NIMHANS Centre for Well-Being
Rapporteur
Urban Fellow, KILA School of Urban Governance
Fireside Chat on Ernakulam - Thrissur Economic Hub
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Mayor of Kochi & Co-Chair, Kerala Urban Policy Commission
Panelists
Chairman & Managing Director, Cochin Shipyard
Managing Director, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL)
Chairperson, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Kerala
Managing Director, Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA)
Executive Director, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) Kochi Refinery
Fireside Chat on Kozhikode - Malappuram Economic Hub
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Mayor of Kozhikode
Panelists
Director, NIT Calicut
Chairman, Board of Directors, Mathrubhumi
Managing Partner, DC Books
President, Calicut Chamber of Commerce
President, Malabar Chamber of Commerce
Shaping Kerala as an Inclusive & Resilient Society
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Chairperson, 7th State Finance Commission
Co-Chair
Coordinator, Nava Keralam Karma Padhathi
20 Minute presentation on Kerala Urban Policy Commission Report by Chairperson / Co-Chair
Panelists
Member, Kerala State Planning Board
Member, Kerala State Planning Board
Member, Kerala State Planning Board
Member, Kerala State Planning Board
Mission-driven Urban Governance : Insights from State Urban Secretaries
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Secretary, MoHUA
Panelists
Urban Development Secretary, Tamil Nadu
Urban Development Secretary, Andhra Pradesh
Urban Development Secretary, Goa
Urban Development Secretary, Uttar Pradesh
Urban Development Secretary, Uttarakhand
Urban Development Secretary, Odisha
Urban Development Secretary, Assam
Urban Development Secretary, Maharashtra
Policy Session 4 : Sustainable Infrastructure & Basic Services
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Lead Member, KUPC
Keynote Address
CEO, Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB)
Speakers
Senior Urban Development Specialist, ADB
Executive Director, World Resources Institute (WRI) India
Acting Country Manager, Global Buildings Performance Network
Founder-Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR)
Moderator
Associate Vice President, IDFC Foundation, New Delhi
Rapporteur
Young Professional, KILA School of Urban Governance
Fireside Chat on Thiruvananthapuram - Kollam Economic Hub
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram
Panelists
Member, Kerala State Planning Board
CEO, Vizhinjam International Seaport
Director, IIST Thiruvananthapuram
President, Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce
Fireside Chat on Kannur - Kasargod Economic Hub
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Mayor of Kannur
Panelists
Director, National Institute Of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kannur
President, North Malabar Chamber of Commerce
Dean, School of Business Studies, Central University of Kerala
Chairman, Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society
Kanhirrode Weavers Cooperative Society
Day 2 — Saturday, 13 Sep 2025
Policy Session 7 : Growth Drivers for Urban Kerala
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Lead Member, KUPC
Keynote Address
Special Secretary, LSGD
Speakers
Professor & Dean, Faculty of Economics, South Asia University, New Delhi
Professor, Missouri State University, USA
Member, Kerala State Planning Board
Moderator
Professor & Dean of Research, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
Rapporteur
Urban Fellow, KILA School of Urban Governance
Policy Session 10 : Collective Local Self-Governance
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Co-Chair, KUPC
Co-Chair
Member, KUPC
Keynote Address
Former Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala
Speakers
Deputy Director, ICLEI South Asia
Director, PRS Legislative Research, New Delhi
CEO, Praja Foundation, Mumbai
Moderator
Member, KUPC
Rapporteur
Urban Fellow, KILA School of Urban Governance
Roundtable on Professionalising Urban Governance
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Additional Secretary, MoH&UA, Government of India
Panelists
Country Manager, UN Habitat India
Chief Town Planner, LSGD
India Country Officer, AFD India
Managing Director, Global Engagement, International City Manager’s Association
Senior Sector Specialist, Sustainable Urban Development, KfW India
Chairman, Institute of Town Planners, India - Kerala Chapter
Roundtable on Digital Planning & Governance
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Director, NIT Calicut & Chair of KUPC Task Force on Digital Planning and Governance
Co-Chair
Professor, IIM Kozhikode & Co-Chair of KUPC Task Force on Digital Planning and Governance
Panelists
Under Secretary General, ODET Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies
Director, Urban Big Data Centre, University of Glasgow, UK
Chief Mission Director, Information Kerala Mission (IKM), Government of Kerala
Director, HARSAC and former Chief Geospatial Officer, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority
Professor & Chairperson of Centre for Information Technology Research & Automation (CITRA)
Policy Session 8 : Local Economic Development Framework
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Co-Chair and Lead Member, KUPC
Keynote Address
Former Additional Chief Secretary, LSGD
Speakers
Director, Centre for Development Studies
Lead Urban Specialist, World Bank South Asia
Secretary General, Urban Economy Forum
Moderator
Director, Centre for Global Affairs and Public Policy (CGAPP), New Delhi
Rapporteur
Urban Fellow, KILA School of Urban Governance
Policy Session 9 : Innovative & Sustainable Urban Financing
(90 Minutes)
Chair
Lead Member, KUPC
Keynote Address
Former Chief Secretary of the Government of Gujarat & Director General of BRICS New Development Bank Indian Regional Office
Speakers
Director, Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation
CMD, HUDCO
Professor, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), New Delhi
Moderator
CEO, Janaagraha
Rapporteur
Urban Fellow, KILA School of Urban Governance
Fireside Chat on Palakkad Economic Hub
(90 Minutes)
Chair
President, Palakkad District Panchayath
Panelists
Director, IIT Palakkad
Sobha Developers
General Manager (Projects), Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA)
Managing Director, Malabar Cements
Thriving Communities: Roundtable on Family Friendly Cities
(60 Minutes)
Chair
Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF
Co-Chair
Principal Consultant, Van Leer Foundation
Panelists
Executive Director, World Resources Institute (WRI) India
Associate Director, Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), New Delhi
Team Leader, India Early Childhood Development Collective, New Delhi
Project Manager, Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG), Shillong
Roundtable on Centre - State Missions and Schemes: Funding for Urban Infrastructure
(60 Minutes)
Panelists
Chairperson, Alappuzha Municipality
Professor, Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA)
Associate Professor, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
Secretary, Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation
Joint Managing Director, Kerala Water Authority (KWA)
Presentations and deliberations on ‘Policy Outcomes’ and ‘Implementation Plans ’
(120 Minutes)
High Level Political Forum - Mayors
(120 Minutes)
Chair
Mayor of London
Co-Chair
Mayor of Malmo, Sweden and President, ICLEI Board
Mayor of Kochi, President, Mayor’s Council Kerala & Co-Chair, Kerala Urban Policy Commission
Keynote Address
Principal Directorate, LSGD
Panelists - International
Mayor of Bonn
Mayor of Montreal
Mayor of Moscow
Mayor of Bogota
Metropolitan Mayor of Quito
Mayor of Vancouver
Mayor of Barcelona
Mayor of Durban
Mayor of Helsinki
Mayor of Kathmandu
Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Oslo
Mayor of Medellin
Mayor of Bangkok
Mayor of Kuala Lumpur
Lord Mayor of Melbourne
Mayor of Quezon City
Mayor of Ho Chi Minh City
Mayor of Baku, Azerbaijan
Mayor of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
Mayor of Addis Ababa
Mayor of Masaka
Mayor of Lima, Peru
Mayor of Rio de Janeiro
Mayor of Buenos Aires
Mayor of Wellington
Mayor of the City of Makati
Mayor of Hoboken
Mayor of the City of Kitchener
Mayor of the Konya Metropolitan Municipality
Mayor of the City of North Miami, USA
Mayor of the Municipality of Del Carmen, Philippines
Panelists - Indian Mayors
Mayor of Kollam
Mayor of Thrissur
Mayor of Hyderabad, Telangana
Mayor of Delhi
Mayor of Kolkata
Mayor of Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Mayor of Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Mayor of Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
Mayor of Salem, Tamil Nadu
Mayor of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Mayor of Ahmedabad
Mayor of Jaipur, Rajasthan
Mayor of Amritsar, Punjab
Mayor of Warangal, Telangana
Mayor of Surat, Gujarat
Mayor of Ranchi, Jharkhand
Mayor of Panaji, Goa
Mayor of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
Mayor of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh
Mayor of Shimla
Mayor of Guwahati
Mayor of Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Mayor of Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Mayor of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
Ageing Kerala: Roundtable on Care-Friendly Cities
(60 Minutes)
Chair
Dean (Research) & Director, State Resource Centre for Older People
Panelists
Managing Director, KTIL
Senior Associate Professor, CEPT University, Ahmedabad
Managing Director, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP)
Global Sector Director, Innovation, Partner and Executive Vice President, HKS
Deputy Chief Architect, PWD Head Office, Thiruvananthapuram
Moderator
Vice Chairperson, IIA Kerala
Roundtable of Civil Society Organisations
(60 Minutes)
Chair
Executive Director, Kudumbashree
Co-Chair
Visiting Faculty, National Law School India University, Bengaluru
Panelists
Executive Director, Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development
National Convenor, Safai Karmachari Andolan
Director, Action Aid Association India, New Delhi
