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This chapter discusses the development of the metro rail system in Delhi. It details the various phases of the project from proposal to implementation. Implemented by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) as a joint ownership by the Government of India and Government of Delhi, the Delhi Metro completed 65 km of Phase I in record time. By September 2010, it became a 186 km network with a cost of around Rs 29,800 crore. The metro has been making operational profits from the first day and it has set benchmarks for project execution quality and delivery within cost and time as well as in operations and maintenance.

This chapter presents some concluding thoughts from the author. There is no doubt that, at a time when Delhi’s urban transport problems were getting more and more complex, the bold decision to have a metro in the city has made a big difference. There are various landmarks which the Delhi Metro has been able to achieve: Phase I was completed ahead of time; work was completed within estimated completion costs; the unit cost of construction remained one of the lowest; it is the first metro to get ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management System and the first metro to earn carbon credit. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s success is attributed to an innovative company structure, a unique work culture, and organizational values reflected in a lean but effective organization, punctuality, professional competence, a quick decision-making process, and the sufficient delegation of powers.

Given the crucial importance of urbanization in the transition of an economy from an agrarian rural structure to a modern industrial one, this chapter discusses the policies conducive to healthy growth of urban centers. It identifies four intimately linked components of urban development: availability of land; provision of water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management; transportation; and rehabilitation and redevelopment of slums. The chapter discusses reforms in each of these areas. To alleviate land shortages, it recommends the repeal of the Urban Land Ceilings Act; raising the floor space index; provision of legal titles to property; rental laws that balance the rights of the tenants and landlords; reform of laws governing the conversion of land and property from one use to another; and reform of coastal zone laws. In transportation, the chapter emphasizes the need for a rapid transit system and discusses two successful such experiments: rail based Delhi Metro and the Bus Rapid Transit System in Ahmedabad. The chapter also makes several suggestions on slum rehabilitation and redevelopment could be accomplished. Finally, the chapter points to the need for governance reforms including delegation of authority to local levels to tackle the complex issues relating to water supply, sanitation, and disposal of solid waste.

In a recent report by the World Bank, the delivery of public services in India was cited as poor. The report attributed the bad service delivery to poor accountability and lack of autonomy. The problem appears to have something to do with the institutional mechanism for service delivery. This chapter examines the institutional mechanisms adopted by several countries—United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Sweden, and Canada for service delivery in order to determine an appropriate mechanism that could improve the capacity of India’s civil service to deliver effective public services. The key for these countries is the creation of executive agencies for delivering public services. In India, special purpose vehicles have been set up to deliver public services. This chapter also describes about the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).