This article examines public-private partnerships for the development of th
e urban poor, based on our experience of the Slum Networking Project in Ahm
edabad. We examine three issues. The first concerns the reasons that impede
public-private partnerships. The second is the tardy progress that the cen
tral and state governments have made in providing housing and employment to
the urban poor. Why should the corporate sector join hands with government
organisations and NGOs for the development of the urban poor? This is the
third issue we discuss in this article.