JNNURM and Europe cities The omen is clear

 *Eagle's Eye: Indians to learn from EU cities * Indian cities will also be
able to study the European model of international city to city cooperation
which facilitates the sharing of proven expertise.

A Euro India Forum aimed at increasing cooperation between urban
stakeholders of Indian and European cities is scheduled to be held in GOA in
February 2007. The event called Urban India 2020 has been organised by the
Paris-based Euro India centre and will provide the first congenial platform
to help Indian cities leverage the expertise of European cities and identify
practical solutions for urgent modernisation.

Some 200 urban stakeholders, decision makers, academics and policy makers
from India and Europe will gather at the Forum to exchange their best urban
practices, in order to find mutually beneficial cooperative avenues.

European cities have become increasingly keen to engage with emerging Indian
cities that are struggling to develop at a pace in sync with the rapid
growth of the economy.

The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has strongly supported the event
saying that he is "delighted" that such a conference is being organised. At
the event, Indian cities will also be able to study the European model of
international city to city cooperation which facilitates the sharing of
proven expertise.

*The event is expected to give a great boost to the National Urban Renewal
Mission,* that the Indian Government has recently set up. The Euro India
centre was founded in 2002 as a not-for-profit association with the sole
objective of bringing Europeans and Indians together to join hands for a
shared future. It recently elected a new board comprising of co presidents
Collete Mathur, Senior advisor for India and South Asia to the Board of the
World Economic Forum and Anand Mahindra, CEO of Mahindra & Mahindra Pvt Ltd.
Former French Prime Minister, Raymond Barra who was the original Executive
board president of the organisation has been promoted to the prestigious co
president Emeritus position to join joining fellow co-President Emeritus Dr
Manmohan Singh.