THE NEXT CHAPTER IN URBAN HOUSING

India’s urban housing agenda is moving beyond the simple target of adding homes. The focus is increasingly shifting towards how cities expand, how land is used, how infrastructure keeps pace and how technology can make urban planning more precise. DELHI MASTER PLAN 2047 Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal unveiled the Delhi Master Plan 2047 (MPD 2047), setting out a long-term roadmap for a more connected, inclusive and sustainable national capital. The plan targets around 40 lakh new affordable housing units to meet Delhi’s future housing needs. It proposes redevelopment of existing group and government housing, affordable homes along Metro corridors, rental housing and permanent homes for residents of JJ clusters. A major focus is the Land Pooling Policy, which is expected to enable nearly 200 sq. km of planned urban expansion, creating around 12 lakh new homes alongside a proposed 600-km road network. High-density corridors, including areas along UER II, will support greater housing and commercial development. The plan also seeks to improve living conditions in unauthorised colonies, with residential buildings in 1,511 colonies proposed for regularisation on an “as is where is” basis, potentially strengthening property ownership security for around 45 lakh residents. Transit-oriented development, multi-modal transport hubs and higher FAR provisions are central to the redevelopment strategy. The plan also provides for modern industrial parks, data centres and co-working spaces, while earmarking 1,500 heritage assets for conservation.

PMAY-U 2.0
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U) has crossed a major milestone, with more than 1.25 crore houses sanctioned under PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0 and over 1 crore homes completed and delivered to beneficiaries across India. The latest push came at the eighth Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) meeting held on August 6, where 2.09 lakh additional houses were approved under PMAY-U 2.0 for economically weaker section (EWS) families across 16 states and Union Territories. Of the latest approvals, 1.42 lakh houses fall under Beneficiary Led Construction, providing financial assistance of up to ₹2.5 lakh for families building homes on their own land. Another 67,045 houses were sanctioned under Affordable Housing in Partnership. Women remain at the centre of the housing programme. Of the 1.25 crore houses sanctioned overall, 1 crore have been allotted to women, either in the name of the female head of household or through joint ownership. The latest approvals also included 16,662 houses for senior citizens, 21,954 for SC beneficiaries, 14,252 for ST beneficiaries and 75,511 for OBC beneficiaries.

GIS-BASED URBAN PLANNING
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is pushing GIS-based Master Plans to make urban planning more data-driven and coordinated. Under AMRUT, 461 cities have been onboarded, with 292 GIS-based Master Plans finalised. Under AMRUT 2.0, the initiative covers 875 Class-II towns, with 93 Master Plans finalised so far. GIS planning brings land use, transport, water, drainage, public amenities and environmentally sensitive areas onto a common digital platform, helping authorities plan infrastructure more effectively. Geo databases are also being integrated with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan to support coordinated infrastructure development.