Achieving Sustainable Urban Development in India: Pathways to SDG 11

India's urbanization journey reflects an amalgamation of a rich historical legacy and contemporary challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11): Sustainable Cities and Communities. From the era of meticulously planned urban centers of the Indus Valley Civilization to the turbulent yet rapid rise of six megacities, India's urbanization journey has been brisk and complex. Having adopted SDGs in 2015 at the United Nations General Assembly Summit, India began its journey of sustainable cities by launching major initiatives such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), and the Smart City Mission. Although these programs have yielded quite promising outcomes in sanitation, mobility, housing, and infrastructure, they are plagued by challenges like weak municipal government, lack of financial devolution, fragmented approaches, and climate pressures. The overall achievements in the country under the Smart City Mission have been quite uneven across regions despite claims of 91% progress according to monitoring indices. There is a need for an overhaul of institutional machinery that can enhance not just implementation but also take equal cognizance of accountability for the country to actualize its stride towards smart, resilient, and sustainable cities.