Mr. Shekhar G. Patel, President, CREDAI, represented India’s real estate sector on the global stage through impactful discussions focused on affordable housing, transparent regulatory reforms, and sustainable urban development at the World Urban Forum.

Participating in the discussion on “Housing Market Innovation: Blending Planning and Finance for Inclusive Urban Growth,” he highlighted the importance of practical policies, stronger regulatory frameworks, and integrated urban planning models that can improve buyer confidence while supporting inclusive and future-ready growth across Indian cities.

Sharing industry insights, Mr. Patel presented Gujarat’s Town Planning Scheme as a successful example of planned urban expansion and self-financed infrastructure development. He explained how strategic urban planning can unlock land value, create structured future growth, and prevent unplanned city expansion, while enabling governments to retain part of the value generated through development and simultaneously benefiting landowners through improved infrastructure and connectivity.

Key highlights from his address included:

• Integrated planning for long-term urban expansion.
• Land pooling models benefiting both governments and landowners.
• Self-financing infrastructure through land value unlocking.
• Importance of zoning, transport networks, and connectivity.
• Transformation of farmland into accessible, investment-ready urban plots.
• Planned development creating sustainable and future-ready cities.

The discussions reinforced the need for planning and finance to work together in building scalable, transparent, and resilient housing ecosystems globally. Through such engagements, CREDAI continues to advocate for a more transparent, future-ready, and sustainable real estate ecosystem for the nation.