Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, inaugurated the National Urban Conclave 2025 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, on Saturday. The two-day conclave brings together over 2,500 participants, including policymakers, urban planners, experts, and stakeholders, to deliberate on the theme “Sustainable Urban Development and Governance” through intensive sessions across six thematic areas.

On the occasion, the Union Minister also inaugurated the ‘Viksit Bharat City’ exhibition, which showcases innovative urban planning models, smart technologies, and citizen-centric infrastructure being implemented across Indian cities, reflecting the vision of a vibrant, inclusive, and future-ready India.

Exploring India’s urban opportunities, Devashish Dhar, Public Policy Expert, highlighted that cities are the spatial engines of prosperity, where people migrate in search of growth, opportunity, and freedom. He described cities as “labour markets” shaped by the constant contest between agglomeration and congestion, and as the original DPI — “Desired Public Infrastructure” on which prosperity is built.

Secretary, MoHUA, Srinivas Katikithala underlined the importance of coordinated governance and institutional learning in realizing sustainable urban development. He said that the Conclave provides a valuable platform for city leaders and experts to share experiences and co-create solutions for the urban future of India.

Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, MoHUA, in his remarks, also said that this event is the reflection of collective effort for making cities more affordable, secure and sustainable. Marking the launch of Team Urban for Viksit Bharat, under the guidance and leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, he emphasised the power of collaboration and shared accountability in nation-building. The Conclave is the inaugural edition of an annual national urban dialogue, providing a platform to identify clear pathways and actionable plans for achieving the Urban Agenda 2047.

During the inaugural session, the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal launched the following:

1. Launch of Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP)

Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal also launched the Dumpsite Remediation Accelerator Programme (DRAP) — a year-long, mission-mode initiative aimed at fast-tracking the remediation of remaining dumpsites across urban India. The programme seeks to reclaim valuable urban land for community and infrastructure development, thereby advancing India’s vision of achieving “Lakshya Zero Dumpsites” by September 2026.

Currently, 1,428 sites are undergoing remediation, and about 80% of the legacy waste is concentrated in 214 sites across 202 ULBs. DRAP will prioritize these high-impact locations, covering approximately 8.8 crore MT of legacy waste.

To support the goal of “Lakshya Zero Dumpsites” , the central government provides financial assistance to cities considering an estimate of ₹550 per tonne for legacy waste remediation. So far, MoHUA has extended CFA of ₹4,181 crore for projects worth ₹10,228 crore, benefiting 2,484 ULBs across 28 States/UTs. Till date, 1,048 out of 2476 dumpsites holding nearly 25 Cr MT of waste have been fully remediated, with several others are in various stages of completion. In total, 14.33 crore metric tons of legacy waste have been processed, and nearly 7,580 acres (50%) of land have been reclaimed.

2. Swachh Bharat Mission – Knowledge Management Unit (KMU)

The Minister also launched the Swachh Bharat Mission – Knowledge Management Unit (KMU). The unit is established by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) as a dedicated unit at the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), the KMU will serve as a national platform for capacity building, knowledge creation, and institutional learning under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban framework.

3. Launch of Urban Invest Window (UiWIN)

Another major initiative launched on the occasion was the Urban Invest Window (UiWIN) — an initiative of HUDCO, under the guidance of MoHUA. UiWIN will serve as a one-stop investment facilitation platform for Indian cities, designed to attract private investments and enable access to long-tenor, concessional, and competitive financing from multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The platform will also promote PPP-based urban projects to accelerate sustainable infrastructure growth.

4. Launch of Jal Hi Janani

Shri Manohar Lal also launched the AMRUT anthem ‘Jal Hi Janani’ for highlighting the importance of water in day-to-day life and he urges to save water for future.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Manohar Lal emphasized that India’s urban transformation must be driven by sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation. He noted that initiatives like DRAP, UiWIN, and KMU will play a crucial role in building cleaner, greener, and more liveable cities, aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. He reaffirmed that planned and coordinated urban development is essential to ensure holistic growth and an improved quality of life for citizens. He highlighted that in the coming years, dedicated investments will be required to meet India’s expanding urban infrastructure needs, with public-private partnership support.

He added that by 2047, Indian urban population will be around 50% of total population and for them, all stakeholders will have to come together and huge investments not only from central and state governments but also from private players and individuals will help in achieving the dream of Viksit Bharat.