Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma calls for Women's Participation For Beautification of India's Smart Cities

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 28 June 2025

• 4th Naredco Mahi Convention held with theme 'Rise & Build: Women Transforming Real Estate for a Sustainable Tomorrow'
• From Yamuna Riverfront to Smart City, Delhi's development picture is incomplete without women: Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Cabinet Minister, Delhi NCT Government
• Time for having Integrated Infrastructure Management: D Thara, IAS, Additional Secretary, MOHUA

Observing the evolution in the Indian infrastructure space, Shri Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Cabinet Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi said at the 4th Naredco Mahi Convention that “beautification is key for developing smart cities in the country”.

Speaking at the convention, D Thara, IAS, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs emphasized on the need for looking beyond developing the buildings and housing complexes and aim for integrated infrastructure management in order to achieve a sustainable habitat.

The annual convention for 2025 was themed on 'Rise & Build: Women Transforming Real Estate for a Sustainable Tomorrow'. MAHI was established in 2021 was developed by National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) with an vision to empower women entrepreneurs and encouraging participation of women in the real estate sector and allied fields.

"I want look at what we can together do for Delhi. The Delhi government is also working on developing a Yamuna riverfront, so what more can we do in that project. Beautiful cities would be a key part of smart cities and I think women and NAREDCO MAHI can play a key in achieving beautification of our cities," the Minister said.

Speaking at a fireside chat, Additional Secretary D Thara said stressed on the need for sustainable measures in real estate development and emphasized the potential role of women in sustainable growth.

"There is need to transcend beyond housing and focus on associated sectors like water supply and green space. Its high to move from real estate to integrated infrastructure management," the official said.

In a bid to mitigate floods, she suggested that along with green spaces, developers should come up with "green tanks" to fill excess water which would also help in water conservation.

The Additional Secretary also suggested developers to handover documents citing the green measures and water availability in housing complexes in a bid to increase awareness and sustainability and build accountability.

Highlighting the expansion of NAREDCO Mahi and the growing participation of women in the sector, Smita Patil, President, Mahi, NAREDCO said India’s housing future must be built with policy, shaped by industry, and guided by inclusive values — especially empowering women and emerging leaders. Under our initiative Saswat Nirman we are focusing on sustainable real estate development. It aims to integrate environmentally friendly construction practices, energy efficiency, and green building principles into the real estate sector in India. We are committed to being a bridge — supporting women in the sector, nurturing young talent, and working in sync with the government for a stronger urban India.

 Highlighting the need for women to join India's growing real estate space, Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Chairman, NAREDCO told during the fireside chat said that skilling would be the key pivot towards women-led real estate sector.

"Real estate is the second largest employer in India. However, it is short of skilled workers, which if filled by skilled women, would not­­ only lead to employment generation and women empowerment, but would give a boost to economic growth and help achieve the vision of tripling the size of the economy," Dr Hiranandani said.

Observing that homes loans in India have the lowest non-performing assets globally, he said that the feat has been achieved on the back of the economic deftness of women in the Indian households. "There is a big role played by women," he said.

Noting that a lot needs to be done on women empowerment and having women stakeholders in key positions, Hari Babu, President, NAREDCO said that there are immense opportunities that can be leveraged. "Grab it, if you don't grab it, nobody will give it to you," said the NAREDCO President encouraging more women participants in India's booming real estate space.

The daylong event also had sessions on subjects like 'Women of Substance, Journey Accomplishments', 'RERA: Successes, Challenges, and The Road Ahead' and “Indian Real Estate: Pivoting to a USD 1 Trillion Market', with participation from key stakeholders and policymakers across the country.