Manthan 2025, the two-day conference of Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES) officers to devise a roadmap for Cantonment Boards, in line with the Government's Viksit Bharat @2047 vision, concluded in New Delhi on September 19, 2025. The officers gained actionable insights from the inspiring address of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who, during the inaugural session on September 18, 2025, exhorted them to strive for the development of Cantonment Boards into smart, green & sustainable urban ecosystems, and achieve the target by 2035.

Valuable insights from distinguished keynote speakers, including Secretary, Department of Land Resources Manoj Joshi, Attorney General for India R. Venkataramani (virtually) and Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of India Subir Malik, also served a guiding light to the officers to achieve the desired objectives.

Key takeaways from the two-day conclave include:

1. Carbon Neutral Cantonments by 2030
• Achieve net-zero emissions through renewable energy grids, rooftop solar, bio-gas and waste-to-energy plants.
• Promote EV charging hubs, green transport, and large-scale afforestation.
• Institutionalise carbon audits and annual sustainability reporting.
2. Smart Cantonments by 2035
• Build digitally enabled, green, citizen-friendly ecosystems.
• Integrate smart power, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven surveillance, e-mobility, and water recycling.
• Balance heritage preservation with modern amenities in planning.
3. Inclusive Development & Ease of Living
• Prioritise welfare of poor, senior citizens, disabled persons, and special children.
• Create barrier-free infrastructure and inclusive social facilities.
• Make Cantonments models of compassionate governance.
4. Digital First Service Delivery
• Upgrade e-Chhawani 2.0 with AI-driven grievance redressal, multilingual support, and smart health including tele-health.
• Move towards 100% online civic services with smart dashboards, for effective monitoring.
• Adopt data-driven decision making for efficiency and transparency.
5. Financial Resilience & Institutional Strength
• Build financially independent Cantonment Boards through innovative revenue streams.
• Explore PPPs, green bonds, user charges.
• Create a robust fiscal framework to sustain reforms.
6. Green Leadership & National Role Model
• Showcase that development and environment can co-exist harmoniously.
• Focus on biodiversity parks, water body rejuvenation, waste segregation and recycling.
• Position every Cantonment as a lighthouse project of eco-conscious governance.
7. Skill & Knowledge Upgradation of Officers
• Constantly upskill in sustainability, AI, Geographic Information System (GIS), green technologies and modern urban management.
• Encourage training, peer-learning, and global exposure.
• Treat every assignment as a contribution to nation-building, not merely as a job that has to be done.
8. Jan Samvad as Core of CEO's Duty
• Institutionalise structured citizen engagement.
• CEOs to hold regular Jan Samvad with residents, Resident Welfare Associations, ex-servicemen and civil society.
• Build transparency, trust, and participatory governance at every level.
9. Ease of Doing Business in Cantonments
• Strengthen platforms like E-Connect to promote entrepreneurship, small businesses, and start-ups.
• Simplify permissions, leases, and regulatory processes through digital platforms.
• Make Cantonments hubs of innovation, livelihood generation, and local economic vibrancy.