Shri Tokhan Sahu, Hon’ble Minister of State of Housing and Urban Affairs, culminated the National Urban Conclave 2025 at Yashobhoomi India International Convention Centre, New Delhi today.

The second and concluding day of the National Urban Conclave 2025 continued the momentum of strategising ideas and approaches to advancing the vision for Viksit Bharat 2047.

The technical deliberations focused on three key themes of urban governance, circular economy, and the housing ecosystem. The session on urban governance, experts deliberated on institutional innovations to anchor effective and future-ready urban governance. The session on circular economy spotlighted ways to convert waste streams into resources, while exploring how circularity can be scaled as a coherent policy. The session on the housing ecosystem discussions centred on policy frameworks and strategies to expand the affordable housing supply, in alignment with livelihood opportunities and infrastructure.

 

Launches/ Releases/ Announcements

During the valedictory session, Shri Tokhan Sahu, Hon’ble Minister of State of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the following:

 

1. Exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ministry of Housing and Urban and Government of Uttar Pradesh, Osmania University, IIPA and AIILSG

The MoU is expected to catalyse the development of resource material and meet the training and research-related needs of the urban sector of states and Union Territories.

 

2. Launch of the IIRS Sankalan App

The app is aimed at making urban surveys smarter and faster through GIS-based planning, enabling on-site editing and geo-tagging to enhance data accuracy, reduce delays, and improve reliability.

3. Launch of the Centre for Public Policy on Habitat and Housing at the National Institute of Urban Affairs, Delhi.

The Centre for Public Policy on Housing and Habitat will be established at NIUA to build a strong knowledge base and promote research that supports affordable housing in urban India. The Centre will focus on policy support, advocacy, capacity building, data collection, and knowledge sharing to help make housing more inclusive and accessible for all.

Remarks by Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

Taking the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of developing 50 global cities for India, Shri Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs noted that this vision will be taken forward through a structured challenge framework. Looking ahead, he announced that India will host the BRICS Urban Forum in April 2026. He announced that India will also host the Urban Tech Expo in April 2026, further cementing India’s role in global urban leadership.

 

Address by Prof S Mahendra Dev

In his valedictory address, Prof. S. Mahendra Dev, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, urged delegates to view urbanisation as an economic strategy, linking it to national growth, inclusion, and sustainability, and called for cross-sectoral urban planning to replace fragmented efforts, the adoption of low-carbon mobility and circular economy models, and an updated definition of ‘urban’ using real-time data.

 

Valedictory Address by Hon’ble Minister of State of Housing and Urban Affairs

Resonating with the commitment to advancing the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, Shri Tokhan Sahu, Hon'ble Union Minister of State, Housing and Urban Affairs, articulated we are moving beyond the model of poverty alleviation towards one of empowerment and entrepreneurship. To sustain this transformation, we must maintain coordination and commitment among the Centre, states, urban local bodies, and the private sector. To accelerate solid waste management in hill and Himalayan cities, he announced that a ₹1,000 crore Hill and Himalayan Cities Focused Fund is being launched under the the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 to address the unique needs of these ecologically sensitive regions.

 

The outcomes of deliberations during the two-day Conclave will provide actionable insights for India’s roadmap to building inclusive, resilient, and well-governed cities.

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SK

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