The announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) covering all the 4,378 ULBs in Budget 2021 is a welcome step. AMRUT – a 5-year mission launched in June 2015 and is further extended to March 2022 – has resulted in the creation of basic water supply and sewerage infrastructure, covering more than half the population, in 500 cities in India. The total urban population in the country is projected to increase to about 60 crores by 2030.
M.K. Padma Kumar is involved in developing strategies and managing operations for the IPE Global Group.
He has over 25 years of experience in the development sector, working in civil society organisations and international development agencies like DANIDA and DFID. As the Head of State Partnerships at the DFID India, he was responsible for developing partnerships, programme design, management and strategic oversight of all programmes implemented in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. He has managed various development programmes. His expertise lies in driving operational, financial and programmatic transformations. Before DFID, he was associated with Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Help Age and World Wildlife Fund.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Management with specialisation in Human Resource Management and Finance. He is extensively trained in Project Cycle Management, Grant Management, Performance Management, Leadership Skills and Change Management.
