Overview
The National Urban Conclave 2025, organized by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, concluded on November 9, 2025, at Yashobhoomi India International Convention Centre, New Delhi. The conclave focused on actionable insights for India’s roadmap to building inclusive, resilient, and well-governed cities, aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Key Developments
Launch of Initiatives
- Hill and Himalayan Cities Focused Fund: A ₹1,000 crore fund launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 to accelerate solid waste management in hill and Himalayan cities.
- MoU Exchange: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Osmania University, IIPA (Indian Institute of Public Administration) and AIILSG (All India Institute of Local Self-Government) to develop resource material and meet training and research needs of the urban sector.
- IIRS Sankalan App: Launched to make urban surveys smarter and faster through GIS-based planning, enabling on-site editing and geo-tagging for enhanced data accuracy.
- Centre for Public Policy on Habitat and Housing: Established at the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Delhi, to build a strong knowledge base and promote research supporting affordable housing in urban India.
Key Discussions
- Urban Governance: Deliberations focused on institutional innovations to anchor effective and future-ready urban governance.
- Circular Economy: Discussions spotlighted ways to convert waste streams into resources and scale circularity as a coherent policy.
- Housing Ecosystem: Discussions centered on policy frameworks and strategies to expand the affordable housing supply, aligning with livelihood opportunities and infrastructure.
Announcements
- BRICS Urban Forum: India will host the BRICS Urban Forum in April 2026.
- Urban Tech Expo: India will host the Urban Tech Expo in April 2026.
Statements and Remarks
Shri Tokhan Sahu, Hon’ble Minister of State of Housing and Urban Affairs: Emphasized the vision of Viksit Bharat where every urban citizen becomes a dignified partner in the nation’s development, moving beyond poverty alleviation towards empowerment and entrepreneurship.
Shri Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: Highlighted the vision of developing 50 global cities for India through a structured challenge framework.
Prof. S. Mahendra Dev, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister: Urged delegates to view urbanization as an economic strategy, linking it to national growth, inclusion, and sustainability, and called for cross-sectoral urban planning, low-carbon mobility, circular economy models, and an updated definition of ‘urban’ using real-time data.
Exam Relevance
This event and its outcomes are relevant to the UPSC Civil Services Exam, particularly in the following areas:
- GS Paper 1: Urbanization, its problems and their remedies.
- GS Paper 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors.
- GS Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc., Environmental Conservation.
Important Facts for UPSC
- The ₹1,000 crore Hill and Himalayan Cities Focused Fund aims to improve solid waste management in ecologically sensitive regions.
- The IIRS Sankalan App uses GIS-based planning to enhance urban surveys.
- The Centre for Public Policy on Habitat and Housing at NIUA will focus on affordable housing research and policy support.
- India's hosting of the BRICS Urban Forum and Urban Tech Expo in April 2026 signifies its growing role in global urban development.