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Government of India

Training Session on Financing Urban River Management

June 30, 2025

About the Event

NIUA’s internal capacity-building efforts continue with another insightful session on municipal finance—this time focusing on “Financing Urban River Management”!

Dr. Ravikant Joshi, a seasoned Urban Finance and Management specialist with over 35 years of experience, led this engaging session. Drawing from his extensive work across India and globally—including with the World Bank and MoHUA—Dr. Joshi broke down the complexities of India’s municipal finance landscape.

From the current fiscal health of urban local bodies to structural challenges, Dr. Joshi explained key differences between funding and financing instruments, decoded RBI reports, and contextualised financial realities across Indian cities.

Key discussion areas included: variation in property tax systems across states; where city funds come from—and where they go; investment needs vs. available resources; creditworthiness of ULBs under the Smart Cities Mission; understanding pooled finance bonds and credit ratings; constraints in PPPs and Land Value Capture; and decoding case studies across Indian cities

This initiative is part of ongoing efforts by the Water and Environment vertical to foster a culture of learning, connect thematic and financial dimensions of water-centric urban development, and support evidence-based advisory for cities, especially under their seminal River Cities Alliance (RCA).