Governor Gupta calls for cities to preserve heritage alongside modern infrastructure

Governor Kavinder Gupta called for future Indian cities to preserve the country’s cultural heritage alongside modern infrastructure, addressing the inaugural session of Future Cities Forum 2026 in Pune, organised by Pune Times Mirror in collaboration with the Lexicon Group. The forum’s theme was “India’s Cities: Leading the Growth of Viksit Bharat.”

Gupta said future cities must not only be technologically advanced but also sensitive to citizens’ needs, calling for urban centres that are inclusive, safe, clean, green and environmentally sustainable while retaining India’s rich cultural heritage.

He said the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, can be realised only when Indian cities emerge as centres of innovation, good governance, sustainability, technological excellence and human values, and that cities must be smart as well as inclusive and citizen-centric.

Gupta described the forum as a significant national platform for shaping India’s urban development, saying India stands at a defining moment where its aspirations extend beyond economic growth to building a prosperous, self-reliant and developed nation.

He said progress requires collaboration among governments, urban local bodies, industry, educational institutions and civil society, and expressed confidence the forum would generate practical ideas capable of influencing public policy toward people-centric urban development.