Melbourne and Delhi Mayors explore collaboration for stronger urban governance

The Mayor of Melbourne, Nicholas Reece, met the Mayor of Delhi, Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh, at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) headquarters on Wednesday.

The visit aimed to deepen Melbourne’s understanding of Delhi’s municipal systems and explore avenues for collaboration between the two global cities.

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Senior officials, including MCD Commissioner Ashwini Kumar and Standing Committee Deputy Chairman Sunder Singh, were present during the discussions.

MCD officers briefed the visiting delegation on the corporation’s major functions, such as waste management, municipal governance, online building plan approvals, and a range of citizen-centric digital services.

Welcoming the delegation, Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh described the meeting as an important step towards strengthening ties between Delhi and Melbourne.

“Delhi, with its centuries-old heritage and vibrant diversity, and Melbourne, renowned for its sustainability and urban planning excellence, share similar aspirations for inclusive and future-ready cities,” he said.

He emphasised that the MCD, one of Asia’s largest civic bodies, carries vast responsibilities in public health, sanitation, education, environmental management, and infrastructure development.

The mayor expressed hope that the engagement would pave the way for long-term cooperation, joint initiatives and enhanced knowledge exchange between the two municipalities.

Mayor Reece, in turn, extended a formal invitation to the Delhi Mayor to visit Melbourne to continue discussions on best practices and collaborative opportunities.

Commissioner Kumar highlighted India’s rapid urbanisation and outlined MCD’s recent initiatives in solid waste management and improvements in service delivery.