Sumila Gulyani India 1990 Grantee US - Canada Program PhD in Economic Development and Urban Planning from MIT, in Cambridge, Massachusetts - US
Sumila Gulyani has used her Doctorate in Economic Development and Urban Planning and multiple degrees in City Planning and architecture to good use in a 20+ year career with the World Bank. Her current position is as Program Leader for Sustainable Development in India. In this role, she coordinates the Bank’s work in six practice areas—water; environment; agriculture; resilience and climate change; urban development; and social development; these, together, comprise an investment portfolio of about US$11 billion in 44 projects. Sumila previously served as Manager for Water and Urban Development in Europe and Central Asia, overseeing a program of $ 4 billion in 21 countries. From 2008-2011, she lived in Kenya and worked on infrastructure and urban projects in six African countries.
From 2005-2007, Sumila was at Columbia University in New York as Assistant Professor and also served as the founding Director of the Infrastructure and Poverty Action Lab (I-PAL). She is the author of the book Innovating with Infrastructure and of multiple articles on urban development, water, electricity, transport, and slums.
Sumila holds a PhD in Economic Development and Urban Planning, a Master of City Planning, and a Master of Science in Architecture Studies from MIT, in Cambridge, Massachusetts as well as a Bachelor’s degree from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India. She notes: “At the time that I received the MMEG grant, I was training to be an architect -- a profession that is usually about building iconic buildings, very private sector oriented, and in service of affluent clients. I pivoted from architecture to studying and working on economic development. From aspiring to build iconic structures to becoming passionate about slum upgrading (for instance)!”
