ICLEI South Asia, as the technical partner of the Climate Projects Preparation Facility (CPPF), participated in the official launch of the Facility held on 24 November 2025 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Established by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) with support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and HUDCO, CPPF is India’s first dedicated mechanism to help cities prepare bankable, climate-resilient urban infrastructure projects under Public-Private Partnership models.

The launch brought together senior leaders, including Mr. Sanjay Kulshreshtha, CMD, HUDCO; Dr. Debolina Kundu, Director, NIUA; and Ms. Grace Lalrindiki Pachuau (IAS), Deputy Secretary, MoHUA. Representatives from urban local bodies across India—Warangal, Indore, Bhubaneshwar—along with civil society organisations and partners such as ICLEI South Asia, WRI India, and the Global Methane Hub also joined the deliberations. The gathering reflected a strong, collective commitment to accelerating sustainable and climate-responsive urban development.

Following the launch, ICLEI South Asia participated in the roundtable discussion on “Strategies for Collaboration, Financing Mechanisms, and the Way Forward for Climate-Focused Urban Infrastructure Projects.” The dialogue highlighted key challenges in accessing climate finance, the potential of blended and hybrid financing models, and lessons from global project preparation facilities that can support Indian cities.

Speaking at the roundtable, Ms. Bedoshruti Sadhukhan, Associate Director, ICLEI South Asia, underscored the need to move beyond isolated, city-specific interventions to regional, bundled approaches across sectors such as waste, water, and mobility. She noted, “Bundling projects is essential for achieving scale and real impact, but it remains challenging because of jurisdictional constraints and the difficulty of inter-city coordination. A platform like CPPF can encourage cities to think collectively, unlocking the scale, investment potential, and visibility required for larger projects and enabling the kind of bankability that attracts private capital.” This approach, she added, can significantly enhance scalability, bankability, and long-term climate resilience.

The CPPF’s commitment to providing technical and transaction advisory support at no cost to ULBs marks a transformative opportunity for Indian cities to develop carbon-positive, climate-responsive infrastructure.

ICLEI South Asia looks forward to continued collaboration with NIUA, MoHUA, HUDCO, and partner organisations to strengthen project preparation ecosystems and support cities in mobilising climate finance for resilient and low-carbon development.