DDA Green Expo 2026 Set to Outline Climate-First Vision for Urban India
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will host its first-ever DDA Green Expo 2026 on February 14 and 15 at Baansera Park in New Delhi. The event will bring together senior Government leaders, climate experts, urban planners and industry representatives to chart a climate-focused future for Indian cities.
The two-day event will be inaugurated by Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, who will also deliver the keynote address. DDA Vice-Chairman N. Saravana Kumar will give the welcome address. The expo is inspired by the Lieutenant Governor’s vision of a “Green Delhi” and is built around the theme, “Beyond Growth: Reimagining Urban Futures.”
According to DDA, the expo aims to shift the focus of urban development from rapid expansion to climate resilience, ecological restoration and people-centric planning. It is designed as a national platform for solution-driven discussions on sustainable cities.
The event will feature panel discussions and expert sessions on key urban challenges. These include extreme heat, flood resilience, nature-based infrastructure, circular food systems and innovative financing models for green cities. The expo will also explore energy-efficient urban design, climate-adaptive public spaces and resilient infrastructure.
One of the major sessions, titled “Building Climate-Ready Cities Through Nature-Based Infrastructure,” will discuss how urban forests, restored floodplains and biodiversity corridors can serve as climate infrastructure. Another session, “Responding to Urban Heat: Policy, Planning and Public Health,” will focus on linking urban planning with Heat Action Plans and healthcare preparedness.
Senior policymakers and development leaders will take part in a panel titled “Designing for Climate-Responsive Cities.” The discussion will centre on energy-efficient design, climate-sensitive public spaces and infrastructure that can withstand environmental stress.
The expo will also highlight issues such as urban food circularity, balancing development with ecological conservation and financing green infrastructure through corporate social responsibility and public-private partnerships. Innovations in urban greening, water management, waste solutions and climate-resilient design will be showcased.
Several prominent speakers are expected to attend. These include Anand Kumar, Chairman of RERA; Inoshi Sharma, Additional Director General, NADT RC; P. Karthikeyan, Joint Director of FSSAI; Professor Sony Pellissery, Director of the Institute of Public Policy; and Sarika Chakravarty, Director of Implementation (South and West Asia), C40 Cities.
A special fireside conversation will feature environmental leaders Swami Prem Parivartan, known as Peepal Baba, and Ramveer Tanwar, often called the “Pond Man of India.” The session will focus on how community action and behavioural change can help restore urban ecosystems.
During the expo, DDA will formalise partnerships with several institutions. These include the National Medicinal Plants Board for herbal gardens and biodiversity projects, the National School of Drama for a community theatre initiative called RangBaag in park spaces, and the University of Delhi for urban ecological research and youth engagement.
DDA will also collaborate with WWF to set up Citizens’ Nature Hubs and with Delhi Technological University to strengthen research in ecology and sustainability. A knowledge-sharing collaboration is also planned with the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority for sustainable urban improvements.
