Pimpri Chinchwad is a city of transformation. In the 1950s, it was little more than a cluster of villages with a population of just a few tens of thousands. Today, it has grown into one of India's most important industrial hubs, home to more than 2 million people and over 4,000 enterprises. Located in Maharashtra, just northwest of Pune, it has become a centre for the automobile, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries. Rapid industrialisation has fuelled its economic rise, drawing waves of migrants in search of opportunity. But growth has brought challenges. The strain on infrastructure, transport, and essential services has raised urgent questions about how to sustain prosperity while ensuring livability. Could Pimpri Chinchwad continue to thrive while prioritising its citizens, environment, and long-term resilience? Without a structured approach, the city risked being overwhelmed by its own success.

A Blueprint for Sustainable Growth

Recognising the need for a coherent and citizen-centric development strategy, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) appointed Palladium as the Principal Consultant in 2018 to establish and manage the City Transformation Office. The goal was to create a roadmap that placed people at the heart of urban planning, ensuring that growth remained inclusive, sustainable, and forward-looking.

“A city's transformation must be driven by the needs and aspirations of its residents,” says Anoop Phanse, Director, Palladium India. “Our mission was to support PCMC in developing a vision that would position Pimpri Chinchwad as the most inclusive economic powerhouse and livable city in India by 2030.”

A comprehensive survey of 15,000 residents captured the aspirations of the city's population, forming the basis for the City Strategy 2030. Benchmarking against global best practices, the strategy focused on key areas such as Sustainable Mobility, Environment & Living, Sports, Tourism & Culture, Law & Governance, Information Technology, and Economic Development. Through rigorous stakeholder engagement and global benchmarking, a structured roadmap emerged to guide Pimpri Chinchwad's evolution into a model of urban sustainability and resilience.

Igniting Innovation and Citizen Participation

A major milestone in this journey was the Festival of Future, an event designed to foster citizen engagement and innovation. A highlight of the festival was the Citizen Challenge Hackathon, which encouraged residents to propose solutions to pressing urban issues. The initiative saw an overwhelming response, with 135 startups and 110 innovation expo applications, demonstrating the potential of local talent to contribute to the city's progress. Building on this momentum, PCMC introduced an online Participatory Budgeting initiative, enabling citizens to have a direct say in how municipal funds are allocated. By involving residents in decision-making, the city strengthened civic ownership and transparency.

Resilience in the Face of a Global Crisis

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Pimpri Chinchwad faced an unprecedented crisis. The city administration acted swiftly, setting up a COVID-19 war room to enable real-time monitoring of hospital bed capacity, facilitating mass awareness campaigns, and implementing a child helpline program. Additionally, standard operating procedures were developed to guide industries, hospitals, schools, colleges, and frontline workers through the crisis, ensuring the city's resilience in the face of uncertainty.

As the city emerged from the immediate crisis, it turned to innovative financing models to build back better. One of the most groundbreaking initiatives undertaken by the city was the establishment of a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to design India's first Social Impact Bond (SIB) in healthcare.

By positioning the government as an 'Outcome Funder,' this initiative has redefined urban healthcare financing, ensuring greater accountability and long-term improvements in healthcare services. The SIB model aims to attract more private sector investment in public welfare projects, helping to bridge the financing gap hindering India's progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mobilising Communities for a Cleaner, Healthier City

Post-pandemic, PCMC launched Swachhagrah, a citizen engagement initiative aligned with the Government of India's Swachh Bharat Mission. A strong brand identity was developed to drive awareness campaigns and behavioural change programs, focusing on waste segregation, sanitation, and public health.

As part of efforts to promote sustainable sanitation solutions, the city introduced Navi Disha, an initiative providing employment opportunities for women from low-income settlements. Today, over 500 women manage 58 community toilets, offering dignified sanitation facilities to more than 25,000 households.

Recognised on national and global platforms, Navi Disha won the Best Community Project of the Year at the Water Digest Water Awards 2023, supported by UNESCO, and earned PCMC a medal at the 2023 Guangzhou International Awards for Urban Innovation in China.

Strengthening Livelihoods and Building Resilient Communities

In alignment with the National Urban Livelihoods Mission, PCMC developed strategies to strengthen women's groups. A standout initiative involved setting up stitching units for women who had lost their spouses during the pandemic. These units provided a sustainable source of income, helping women rebuild their lives.

To enhance disaster preparedness, the city introduced tabletop disaster management exercises for municipal authorities and launched extensive community awareness campaigns. Additionally, the Anaemia Mukt PCMC initiative was launched, leading communications and PR strategies to raise awareness and facilitate medical test drives across municipal offices to educate staff about anaemia prevention.

Advancing Sustainability and Climate Action

With sustainability taking centre stage globally, PCMC established the Sustainability Cell, aligned with the UN SDGs. The cell focuses on six key areas: Environment Conservation, Sustainable Transport & Mobility, Sustainable Urban Landscape, Disaster Resilience, Social Development & Inclusion, and Sustainable Finance & Innovation. A Climate Budget Guidebook was introduced to help municipal departments align their financial planning with climate goals, ensuring long-term sustainability through investments in green infrastructure and renewable energy.

A Graded Response Action Plan was developed to improve air quality, and an ambitious river rejuvenation project for the Pavana and Indrayani rivers secured $23.6 million through municipal bonds for riverfront development. These initiatives collectively position Pimpri Chinchwad as a pioneer among Indian cities advancing climate action at the municipal level.

Shaping the Future through Education

The city also focused on enhancing education in municipal schools. A comprehensive evaluation of all 129 schools identified critical gaps, leading to targeted interventions. The launch of Jallosh, an annual event for over 50,000 students, fostered creativity, innovation, and competition across academics, arts, sports, and technology.

A landmark achievement was the implementation of the School Essentials Direct Transfer Program, using the National Payments Corporation of India’s e-Rupi digital platform to ensure transparency and efficient fund allocation, benefiting more than 51,000 students.

A Model for Urban Transformation

“This is not just the story of a city—it is the story of its people, its visionaries, and the bold choices that have made Pimpri Chinchwad a model for urban transformation,” says Anoop Phanse.

Since 2018, Palladium has been proud to work alongside PCMC, helping drive this transformation through strategy, partnerships, and innovation. Today, Pimpri Chinchwad stands as a living example of what long-term vision, strategic partnerships, and community-driven development can achieve.

Amit Patjoshi, CEO, Palladium India, emphasises the broader implications: "India’s urban governance stands at a critical juncture. At Palladium, we are ready to scale our solutions nationwide, leveraging global expertise to drive impactful change."

Pimpri Chinchwad’s six-year journey offers valuable lessons not only for India but for cities around the world navigating the complexities of rapid urban growth.

For six years, Palladium has been the Principal Consultant, establishing and managing the City Transformation Office. Over the years, its role has included developing the City Strategy 2030, supporting the implementation of key urban initiatives, and helping shape policies around sustainability, governance, and citizen engagement. By providing strategic expertise and fostering partnerships, Palladium has contributed to Pimpri Chinchwad’s transformation into a more inclusive, resilient, and forward-looking city.