ULI India: Making Delhi NCR a Global Destination: Leveraging the Role of the Built Environment

When

2024-11-14
2024-11-14T13:00:00 - 2024-11-14T18:00:00
Asia/Kolkata

Choose Your Calendar

    Where

    India Habitat Centre Lodhi Road New Delhi 110003 INDIA

    Pricing

    Standard Pricing Until November 14 Members Non-Members
    Private FREE $200.00
    Public/Academic/Nonprofit FREE $200.00
    Retired FREE N/A
    Student FREE $200.00
    Under Age 35 FREE $200.00
    Prices are listed in USD. By becoming a ULI member (starting at 335 USD), you not only get an annual global membership but also a complimentary event ticket worth 200 USD! To sign up click here.
    Delhi NCR faces critical challenges in its built environment, affecting both the quality of life and the country’s global image. Improving the built environment offers multiple benefits, from enhancing happiness of its citizens and visitors to better physical health & mental wellbeing, avoiding brain drain, attracting foreign capital & tourism, and fostering sustainable urban ecosystems to enhancing India’s international standing.

    This year’s event will focus on bringing together various institutions, organizations, and individual leaders in both the private & public sector, and the overlap of the two who will collectively help shape the vision for this idea. Using case studies from Delhi NCR and beyond, the event will stir your imagination & thought process and force us to focus on fixing what we know is obviously broken but have become immune to in daily life.

    ULI is uniquely placed to bring together various constituents of the built environment for cross-sector collaboration.

    Program Schedule

    Time                    Session

    1:00 – 2:00 PM    Lunch & Networking

    2:00 – 2:10 PM    Opening Remarks       
                                                                      
    2:10 – 2:25 PM    Opening Statement
                                 Ms. Anna Roy, IES, Principal Economic Adviser, NITI Aayog
                                                                       
    2:25 – 3:10 PM    Is India’s (Un)Built Environment Restricting Its Full Potential for FDI                        
                                 Anastasia Mukherjee, Commercial Attache Embassy of the United
                                 States of America
                                 Lata Pillai, Managing Director, Capital Markets, JLL
                                 Santhosh Kumar, Vice-Chairman, ANAROCK
                                 Takahiro Yamazaki, Country Head of Real Estate, Sumitomo
                                 Corporation India
                                 Amit Diwan, Country Head, India, Hines

    3:10 – 3:40 PM   Who’s Actually Making Better Cities?
                                 Esben Kristensen, Partner and Team Director, Masterplanning and
                                 Design, Global, Gehl
                                 Shivam Verma, IAS, Commissioner, Indore Municipal Corporation

    3:40 – 4:20 PM   Realistically, Can NCR Even Be Fixed?
                                Swati Singh Sambyal, Expert, Capacity Development, Waste and
                                Marine Litter Programme, GRID-Arendal
                                Swanzal Kak Kapoor, Co-Founder, IAmGurgaon
                           
    4:20 – 5:15 PM   Is Indian Government Ready to Build Liveable Cities?
                                Anshul Mishra, IAS, Member Secretary, Chennai Metropolitan
                                Development Authority, Govt. of Tamil Nadu
                                Jagan Shah, CEO, the Infravision Foundation, Advisor, My Livable City, Member Board of Trustees, Clean Air Asia & Ex-Director of National Institute of Urban Affairs
                                Manisha Natarajan, Journalist - Real Estate & Urban Development            

    5:15 – 5:25 PM   What’s NEXT for ULI in Delhi?
                                Manisha Bhartia, Urbanism Director and Business Head, BDP
                                Amit Diwan, Country Head, India, Hines

    5:25 – 5:30 PM   Closing Remarks 
                                Rohan Sikri, Senior Partner, The Xander Group

    5:30 – 6:00 PM    Networking & Refreshments

    Speakers

    Speaker

    Amit Diwan

    Senior Managing Director & Country Head, Hines India

    Amit is a Senior Managing Director and the Country Head for Hines in India. In his role, Amit is responsible for development, acquisition, and asset management of real estate across the country. Hines currently has offices in 5 cities in India - in Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, and Ahmedabad, and currently focused on office and residential projects. Amit has a track record of starting and scaling-up businesses as an intrapreneur. He started GE Real Estate’s operations in Singapore in 2006 and scaled them across Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. He started IndiaReit / Piramal Fund Management’s business in North India in 2010. Amit began his career with Marakon, where he was based in Singapore and was part of teams that advised the C-suite of large corporations across 9 countries in the Asia Pacific region. Amit also serves on the executive committee of ULI India.

    Speaker

    Anna Roy

    Principal Economic Advisor, Niti Ayog

    Ms.Roy, Principal Economic Advisor at NITI Aayog, is a key player in shaping India’s economic and tech future. A 1992 Indian Economic Service officer, she holds a postgraduate degree from the Delhi School of Economics. With a career spanning roles in the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Civil Aviation, and NITI Aayog, Ms.Roy has worked on crucial reforms in infrastructure, public-private partnerships, and financial services. She also served as Officer on Special Duty to the Finance Minister, showcasing her expertise in driving impactful policy changes. At NITI Aayog, Ms.Roy leads the charge in data management and frontier technologies. She has been instrumental in developing major reports like the National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence and India’s Blockchain Strategy. She also heads the Women Entrepreneurship Platform, working to support and empower women-led businesses. With her blend of experience and innovation, Anna continues to play a vital role in shaping India’s path to a future-ready economy.

    Speaker

    Anshul Mishra

    Anshul Mishra is an Indian Administrative Service Officer working in the state of Tamil Nadu with over 20 years of experience in government service across a wide spectrum of fields in governance, policy-making and service delivery at the Local, State and Central Government levels in India. He is the current Member-Secretary of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), one of the largest metropolises in the country. Anshul was posted at CMDA right after completing his Masters in Regional Planning (MRP) at AAP Cornell where he worked on his thesis exploring the role of agglomeration effects on regional growth patterns in the districts of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India. In his current role, he is driving a process for the creation of the Third Master Plan of Chennai and leading the conversation on tools for the densification of the city, land pooling, land value capture, transfer of development rights, affordable housing, efficient use of land reserved for public spaces, gender-sensitive approaches, flood and risk planning, planning for multi-modal mobility, expansion of the Chennai Metropolitan Area, among others. He is also steering the substantial change of Chennai’s urban transformation with the ongoing preparation of the Third Master Plan assisted by the World Bank. Anshul has previously also served as PS to the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, New Delhi and to the Union Minister of State for Finance, New Delhi; Joint Commissioner, Commercial Taxes under Govt. of Tamil Nadu, Chennai; District Collector/ District Magistrate of Madurai and Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu); Commissioner, City Municipal Corporation, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) and District level administrator as Additional Collector and Sub Collector (Tamil Nadu). These experiences along with his background in Arts, Political Science, Sociology, Philosophy and International Studies bring a multi-disciplinary lens to his work. Anshul is an advocate of evidence-based, action research as a fundamental grounding for urban growth and development.

    Speaker

    Esben Kristensen

    Partner & Team Director, Gehl

    As a Partner and Director at Gehl, Esben has worked with a broad range of public and private clients, focusing on strategy, large-scale urban design and masterplanning frameworks. He is driven by a curiosity about understanding and fostering good and inviting places, districts and cities. His work is based on both a pragmatic and idealistic approach, linking the Gehl analytical toolbox to design at all scales with a strong focus on people. Esben has been responsible for numerous projects in Europe, Latin America, North America and Australia, with more than 15 years of work experience spanning urban design, strategy, architecture and interior design.

    Speaker

    Jagan Shah

    The Infravision Foundation

    An architect and urbanist with deep expertise in urban policy, infrastructure, and sustainable development. Currently the CEO of The Infravision Foundation, he previously served as Director of India’s National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), where he co-conceived the Smart Cities Mission and helped shape the Master Plan for Delhi 2041. As a Senior Infrastructure Adviser to the UK Government, he supported India's National Infrastructure Pipeline and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Jagan has also been a consultant with the World Bank, a Senior Fellow at Artha Global, and led efforts to revitalize Jaipur’s walled city, contributing to its UNESCO World Heritage status. He is a Trustee of Clean Air Asia and advises Tuned, a post-COVID urbanism initiative. Known for his skills in capacity building and strategic communication, Jagan connects policymakers, city leaders, and communities to drive sustainable urban growth.

    Speaker

    Lata Pillai

    Senior Managing Director & Head - Capital Markets, JLL

    Lata Pillai is a highly accomplished leader with 30 years of experience in banking and real estate, currently serving as Head of Capital Markets at JLL India. Based in Mumbai, she plays a pivotal role in driving strategy and overseeing investment and financing solutions for both domestic and international clients. Her expertise is crucial in supporting cross-regional capital flows and managing asset advisory services, further strengthening JLL’s position in a dynamic investment landscape. Prior to JLL, Lata held senior leadership roles at ICICI Bank, where she was instrumental in building the real estate finance desk, as well as Deutsche Bank, where she led the Commercial Real Estate group. Her impressive track record extends to leadership stints at Edelweiss Financial Services and Yes Bank, showcasing her depth of expertise in real estate and finance.

    Speaker

    Manisha Natarajan

    Consulting Editor - Real Estate and Urban Development, NDTV Limited

    With over 20 years of journalism experience, she has honed her skills in writing, storytelling, and content curation, while also learning how to engage with business, government, and political leaders for meaningful conversations. Building a brand through a content-led communication strategy is her forte. As an anchor, editor, and reporter with news channels NDTV and CNBC India, she has covered a wide range of business topics, from stock markets to policy and economy, as well as in-depth coverage of real estate, cities, and sustainability. She has also spoken at prominent events such as the World Bank Sustainability event and the New Cities Summit. Her current prime-time show, The Urban Agenda on NDTV 24X7, delves into solutions for making India's cities more livable and sustainable. Other widely watched television programs she hosts, including The Property Show and Let's Talk Money, are available on YouTube.

    Speaker

    Rohan Sikri

    Senior Partner, The Xander Group, Inc.

    Rohan Sikri is Senior Partner at The Xander Group. Based in Singapore, he is also CEO of Xander Investment Management, the PERE arm of the group, which currently manages over US$ 2.6 billion in AUM. In 2005, he co-founded Xander’s India investment foray, overseeing a diverse US$ 1.5 billion equity investment program spanning office, retail, hotels, residential, and industrial real estate. The portfolio has seen profitable realizations exceeding ~US$ 1.6 billion and continues to deliver value. In 2010, he co-founded Xander Finance, the group's credit platform, where he has served as Chairman of the board for over a decade. In 2014, he established the group’s Office core plus strategy, which attracted capital from global pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, etc., and is currently US$ 1.3 billion in AUM. In 2019, Mr. Sikri initiated the group’s US$ 250 million pan-India industrial real estate strategy. He is also a board member of Virtuous Retail South Asia Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-based retail/ lifestyle developer-owner-operator. More recently, he contributed towards establishing ULI’s National Council in India and presently chairs the council. He also serves on the ULI Asia Pacific Executive Committee.

    Speaker

    Rohit Rajput

    Partner, Intersection Ventures

    Rohit, Partner at Intersection Ventures IN is passionate about driving impact through early-stage investments in climate tech, focusing on sectors like mobility, the built environment, consumer goods, and circularity. With hands-on experience in these areas, he aims to fuel the growth of investee companies, leveraging his background as a multi-decade investor, advisor, and business leader. He also supports initiatives like Sustainability Mafia, committed to creating 100+ climate entrepreneurs over the next three years. With over 20 years of diverse experience in real estate, manufacturing, financial services, and consulting, Rohit has a proven track record of leading businesses and delivering profitable outcomes. He’s held key roles at Max Ventures & Industries, including CEO-Max Assets Services and Chief Growth Officer, and has a background in turning around businesses through strategic initiatives. An avid reader, amateur tennis and golf enthusiast, and admirer of Charlie Munger and Marcus Aurelius, Rohit is always exploring new ways to blend his professional and personal passions.

    Speaker

    Shivam Verma

    Shivam Verma, a 2013 batch IAS officer, serves as the Municipal Commissioner of Indore, where he is committed to driving the city’s growth and ensuring financial stability. Focused on implementing the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) policy on major roads, Shivam aims to enhance Indore's revenue and generate new funding sources for urban development. His leadership prioritizes efficient utilization of grants while fostering long-term sustainability for the city. Dedicated to Indore’s progress, Shivam is passionate about creating a collaborative environment where the city's diverse communities can thrive. He envisions Indore as more than just a city—it’s a vibrant hub of individuals, families, and businesses bound by a collective spirit. Under his stewardship, Indore continues to achieve significant milestones, with a focus on development, growth, and shaping a brighter future for all its residents.

    Speaker

    Swanzal Kapoor

    Architectural Firm, Saka studio

    Swanzal Kak Kapoor is the design principal at Saka Studio, an award-winning architectural practice based in Gurgaon. She has 19 years of experience working in a diversity of contexts and scales and believes in an architecture of resonance and a culture of social responsibility. She has a Bachelors Degree in Architecture from the Institute of Environmental Design at Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat and also completed three semesters of a Masters Program in Urban Design at SPA, New Delhi. She has a deep interest in Ecology, Sustainability, Civic Action, Architectural History and the Arts. Her architectural and interior work celebrates cultural specificity, craft, embodied emotions, ecological consciousness, and collaborative synergy. She has been invited as a juror at SPA Bhopal, KRVIA Mumbai and SSAA, Gurgaon and also as a keynote speaker and panellist at diverse forums across India. Her interest in civic action and the environment led to her co-founding iamgurgaon in 2009, a platform to enable change through community participation and she has been an integral member of the team behind the 385 acre Aravali Biodiversity Park in Gurgaon . She recently participated in a group show titled Transitional Spaces with a collaborative art installation titled Dvaara: Vihaara with Thangkha artist Umika Mediratta. She also volunteers her time as a member of the IIID Delhi Regional Chapter Managing Committee. She believes that each of us should ‘ be the change we wish to see in the world’ and the

    Speaker

    Swati Singh Sambyal

    GRID-Arendal

    Swati Singh Sambyal is an international circular economy expert with over 13 years of experience in the Global South. Currently with GRID-Arendal, she focuses on reducing plastic pollution through policy and practice in Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. Swati is known for her deep commitment to sustainability, advocating for zero-waste practices and decentralized resource management. Her work has involved developing waste management policies, piloting community-integrated models, and generating livelihoods for vulnerable groups. A columnist, author, and frequent speaker, Swati brings her passion for sustainability to national and international platforms, sharing her insights on creating a more circular economy.

    Speaker

    Takahiro Yamazaki

    Country Head of Real Estate, Sumitomo Corporation India

    Takahiro Yamazuki joined Sumitomo Corporation in 2004, dedicating nearly two decades to the real estate sector. His career began in Japan, where he focused primarily on residential and retail development projects. In 2015, he transitioned to Sumitomo’s overseas project team and led the establishment of Krisumi Corporation, a residential development joint venture in Gurugram, India, launched in 2016. In 2020, he was seconded to Krisumi Corporation as CEO and Director, where he brought Sumitomo Corporation’s development expertise to the role, guiding the company’s strategic growth. In 2024, Takahiro established the Real Estate Investment and Development Department for Sumitomo Corporation India, aiming to drive further expansion and investment opportunities in the region.

    Speaker

    Vivek Narain

    Designated Partner, Quorum Club Private Limited

    Vivek is the Founder & CEO of The Quorum, a pan India members-only lifestyle club, a first of its kind community & culture led hospitality services platform. He’s also the Founder & CEO of district150, a hospitality and lifestyle driven meeting and events amenity for the future of work, tailor made for the office building of tomorrow. His past professional background has been split equally between banking and hospitality, resulting in extensive transactional experience both in real estate and hospitality. In the past, Vivek ran the development efforts for Fairmont Raffles Hotels International across South Asia. Prior to that he was part of the sponsor team that did the first India-focused SPAC, India Hospitality Corp (IHC), which at the time was one of the largest foreign investments in the hospitality industry in India. He is passionate about design and urban innovation and an active supporter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) – being part of the founding executive committee for ULI’s recently launched chapter in India. Vivek is an ardent traveler, consummate reader of current affairs, an outdoor enthusiast, and a competitive golfer.