Public private partnerships will drive smart city and affordable housing projects: Hardeep Singh Puri

2020 has been a year of change and disruption. The pandemic has changed the world around us and many of these changes are here to stay.

COVID-19 has also thrown open the fissures in society and has heightened inequality.

In fact, in its latest global risks report, the World Economic Forum has highlighted the digital divide along with climate change and inequality as a main risk to the world economy.

While India and its cities have seen substantial development, they are co-existing with problems of poverty, income inequality.

Just today, we saw 15 migrants workers crushed to death in Gujarat's Surat while sleeping under a flyover. City dwellers, particularly the poor informal sector workers have taken the maximum brunt of the pandemic.

On the sidelines of the Inclusive Finance India Summit, Shereen Bhan spoke to Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of housing & urban affairs and Ajay Banga, executive chairman of MasterCard who discussed about the steps taken to bridge the digital divide and enhance the livelihood of the people.