Our city-city needs bang-bang: India’s booming cities have a governance problem

As key contributors to national economic growth, Indian cities face challenges in governance due to unfulfilled promises of devolving powers to local governments since 1992. To strengthen city management and fiscal strategies, three reforms are essential. Enhancing coordination and stabilizing state-city financial transfers are critical first steps, alongside empowering cities to independently raise funds, which is crucial for their development.