Tikender Singh Panwar

Tikender Singh Panwar is a distinguished expert in urban studies and governance, known for his influential role in shaping urban policies. He has served as the directly elected Deputy Mayor of Shimla City, significantly contributing to urban planning and development. Tikender Singh Panwar is also an accomplished author, with three books on urban issues and a fourth in progress.

His educational background is equally impressive, having received advanced training in urban studies from prestigious institutions such as the CELAP Academy in Shanghai, China, and NTU University in Singapore. He also completed a notable fellowship on urban mobility in Leipzig, Germany. Demonstrating a strong commitment to decentralised governance, Tikender Singh Panwar was a key member of the national task force led by KC Sivaramakrishna that reviewed the 74th Constitutional Amendment.

His advisory roles span more than six institutions and urban groups, where he has developed vision and climate action plans for over ten cities across India. He was pivotal in creating the innovative Climate Just Framework for Indian cities, focusing on equitable climate resilience strategies.

Internationally, Tikender Singh Panwar has represented Shimla and India at numerous global forums, enhancing his leadership in urban governance. His engagements include participating in an Urban LED Strategies event in South Africa, a month-long fellowship on urbanisation in China, and presenting at the World Congress of Resilient Cities in Seoul and the World Cities Resilient Congress in Bonn, Germany. Additionally, he was part of the Indian delegation at COP 21 in France, spoke at the BRICS conference in Moscow, delivered a talk at the UN Habitat III conference in Quito, and represented Shimla at the Climate Change Conference in Lyon, France. He also contributed to the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction under the Sendai Framework.

Apart from his international engagements, Tikender Singh Panwar is a prolific writer, regularly contributing articles on urban issues to leading publications such as The Hindu, The Tribune, Deccan Herald, The Wire, and Newsclick. His writings significantly influence discussions on urban planning and development.

The former Deputy Mayor has also served as an advisor to Samrudh Bharat, a prominent think tank in India, and is the National Convener of CITYZENS, a platform focused on urban governance and development.