In 1971, Benninger returned to India as a [[Ford Foundation]] consultant to the [[Ahmedabad Education Society]] to help set up the [[CEPT University|School of Planning]] in 1972 along with [[Yoginder K Alagh|Yoginder Alagh]] and B.V. Doshi<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cept School of Planning founders look back over 40 years |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/report-cept-school-of-planning-founders-look-back-over-40-years-1798697 |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=DNA India |language=en}}</ref>. Benninger shifted to [[Pune]], India, in 1976 where he founded the [[Center for Development Studies and Activities]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Apurva Bose |last=Dutta|url=http://www.archpresspk.com/m10_interview.htm |title=Christopher Charles Benninger speaks on Architecture |website=Archi Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707160139/http://www.archpresspk.com/m10_interview.htm |archive-date=2011-07-07}}</ref> In 1983, Benninger wrote the theme paper for the [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|United Nations Commission on Human Settlements]] 1984. In 1986, he was engaged by the [[Asian Development Bank]] to author their position paper on [[urban development]], successfully arguing the case for extending financial assistance to the urban development sector.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Benninger |first=Christopher C. |date=1988 |title=Human resources development for the improvement of human settlements |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43622047 |journal=Ekistics |volume=55 |issue=328/329/330 |pages=12–30 |issn=0013-2942}}</ref> Benninger is on the board of editors of ''[[Cities (journal)|Cities]]'' journal, published in the UK.<ref>[http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaleditorialboard.cws_home/30396/editorialboard Elsevier.com]</ref>
