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Minister Urges Transit-Oriented Housing for India's Booming Urban Future

Union Minister Manohar Lal emphasized the need for Transit-Oriented Development to create robust urban infrastructure and make housing more accessible. He proposed innovative solutions like a National Housing Exchange to help citizens find homes near workplaces. Citing a NITI Aayog study, he highlighted the massive demand as India's urban population is projected to surpass 850 million by 2050. The vision aligns with the government's commitment to "Housing for All" and the Economic Survey's call for integrated, climate-resilient cities.

Key Points: Transit-Oriented Development Key to Affordable Housing: Minister

  • TOD model for accessible housing
  • National Housing Exchange proposed
  • Urban population to hit 850M by 2050
  • Collaboration needed from financial institutions
  • Integration of housing, mobility, and climate resilience
2 min read

Robust urban infrastructure via transit-oriented development needed for housing: Minister

Union Minister calls for robust urban infrastructure and a National Housing Exchange to meet the housing demand for 850 million urban Indians by 2050.

"India is far more urban in economic and functional terms than official definitions suggest. - Economic Survey 2025-26"

New Delhi, Feb 13

Union Minister Manohar Lal on Friday called for the development of robust urban infrastructure through the Transit-Oriented Development model for housing, making housing more accessible and sustainable.

Speaking at a conference here, the minister underscored the importance of bringing together all stakeholders to make housing finance more accessible, affordable, and inclusive for every citizen.

He emphasised the need for integrated urban planning, including transport-linked housing development and forward-looking policy innovations.

Lal also proposed exploring innovative solutions such as a National Housing Exchange-like mechanism, backed by comprehensive data on available housing across locations, to help citizens identify suitable homes closer to their workplaces and facilitate mutually beneficial property exchanges to reduce commute time.

Highlighting findings from a joint study conducted by NITI Aayog and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), which estimated India's urban population at 500 million in 2021 and projected it to surpass 850 million by 2050, the minister said this demographic shift will significantly increase the demand for affordable housing across the country.

Furthermore, he urged financial institutions - including banks, housing finance companies, and the National Housing Bank - to collaborate and extend greater credit support to expand the housing stock nationwide.

Lal also reiterated the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi - ensuring that every eligible citizen has access to a dignified home, reflecting the Government's unwavering commitment to Housing for All.

According to the ministry, the conference served as a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and strategic collaboration, reaffirming India's commitment to addressing the challenges and opportunities in affordable housing and urban development.

Meanwhile, the promise of building India's urban future lies in making our cities economically dynamic, socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and institutionally capable, the Economic Survey 2025-26 has said.

According to the Survey, future urban policy must prioritise system performance over standalone projects - integrating housing, mobility, sanitation, climate resilience, and finance - while designing liveable, climate-ready cities that support inclusion and long-term economic efficiency. "India is far more urban in economic and functional terms than official definitions suggest," it noted.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
A National Housing Exchange sounds like a brilliant idea. Finding a decent, affordable flat in Bangalore near my office was a nightmare. If there's a transparent portal with real data, it would be a game-changer for young professionals like me.
R
Rohit P
Good vision, but execution is key. We've heard about 'Housing for All' for years. The real challenge is making finance accessible to the middle-class without endless paperwork and high interest rates. Banks need to walk the talk.
S
Sarah B
The projection of 850 million urban population by 2050 is staggering. Planning for climate-resilient cities is not a luxury, it's a necessity. Hope the 'climate-ready' cities part gets as much focus as the housing numbers.
V
Vikram M
Integrating mobility with housing is common sense, but sadly missing in most Indian cities. We build sprawling suburbs first, then think about transport. This approach needs to be reversed. Kudos for highlighting this.
K
Kavya N
As someone who works in urban planning, I appreciate the mention of 'system performance over standalone projects'. Siloed development has created the mess we see today. Fingers crossed for genuine multi-departmental collaboration on the ground. 🤞

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