The IUC programme has boosted cooperation between the City of Gwalior (India) and the City of Leuven (Brussels) on urban issues.

A delegation of four Gwalior City representatives led by the deputy mayor Mr. Rakesh Mahor, visited the City of Leuven from 27 to 31 August, 2018, where they were welcomed by the mayor and the deputy mayor of the Belgian city. The visit focused on sustainable urban development, water management, heritage protection and business development.

The Indian delegation visited local initiatives Health House, FabLab, BioIncubator, Start It @ KBC and VOKA to get to know Leuven's start-ups and spin-offs and find common ground to work on. Gwalior is one of the 100 smart cities in India and currently working towards the implementation of its smart city action plan.

The five day programme was a mix of theoretical and practical exposure to success stories in urban development. To enhance the quality of life in urban areas the two cities will work together on a specific action plan on urban issues. Both cities have already signed a partnership agreement with IUC in this regard. 

IUC India is part of the global IUC programme. It is financed by the European Union, and implemented by a consortium of GFA Consulting Group GmbH (leader) and CRISIL. The IUC aims to boost cooperation on sustainable urban development with EU partners in Asia and the Americas.