MoHUA World Habitat Day 2026 Celebrations and PMAY-U Awards

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) celebrated World Habitat Day 2026 on October 5 with the theme 'Adequate Housing for All', focusing on strengthening the urban housing ecosystem through innovation, policy reforms, technology, and sustainable financing. The event was attended by Shri Tokhan Sahu, Hon'ble Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs; Shri Satendra Singh, Secretary, Department of Urban Development, MoHUA; Smt. D Thara, Secretary, Department of Capital Development, MoHUA; Shri Kumar Ravikant Singh, Joint Secretary and Mission Director (JS&MD), Housing for All/Housing Division; representatives of UN-Habitat; senior officials from the Ministry; Principal Secretaries from States and Union Territories; and other stakeholders including UN agencies, HUDCO, and NHB.

The event highlighted India's efforts to ensure access to safe, affordable, inclusive, and dignified housing, recognizing contributions under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) and PMAY-U 2.0. Best Performing States/UTs, ULBs, and partner agencies were felicitated with PMAY-U Awards 2026 for their performance in implementing housing initiatives, including rental housing.

State Level Awards

  • State/UT with highest completion of BLC houses against total sanction under PMAY-U: Uttar Pradesh (1st), Gujarat (2nd), Madhya Pradesh (3rd).
  • State/UT with highest completion of BLC houses against total sanction under PMAY-U (North-Eastern, Hilly States and UTs): Arunachal Pradesh (1st), Nagaland (2nd), Ladakh (3rd).
  • State/UT with highest completion of AHP houses against total sanction under PMAY-U: DNH & DD.
  • State/UT with highest number of groundings against total sanction of houses under PMAY-U 2.0: Andhra Pradesh (1st), Bihar (2nd), Uttar Pradesh (3rd).
  • State/UT with highest number of groundings against total sanction of houses under PMAY-U 2.0 (North-Eastern, Hilly States and UTs): Arunachal Pradesh (1st), Uttarakhand (2nd), Puducherry (3rd).

Special Recognition Awards

  • Best PLI Award for highest number of loans sanctioned under ISS: HDFC Bank.
  • Best Practice of Town Planning Scheme (TPS) procedure: Gujarat.
  • Best Practice of Shelter Fund practice: Tamil Nadu.
  • Best Practices of mandatorily land reservation for EWS/LIG in private colonies for AHP vertical: Chhattisgarh.
  • Fastest Completed ARH Project under PMAY-U 2.0 (Naidupetta, Tripati Urban Development Authority, Andhra Pradesh): Premier Energy Global Environment Pvt. Ltd.
  • Public Agency with highest number of houses completed and operational under ARHCs: Tamil Nadu/ SIPCOT (18,720 beds).
  • Private Agency with highest number of houses completed and operational under ARHCs: SPR India Pvt. Ltd. (11,154 beds).
  • Special recognition Award for highest percentage of houses sanctioned against target under PMAY-U 2.0 among Large States: Bihar.
  • State with Highest number of reforms achieved under PMAY-U 2.0: Gujarat.

ULB Level Awards

  • ULB with highest completion of BLC houses against total sanction under PMAY-U (1-5 Lakh Population): Uluberia, West Bengal.
  • ULB with highest completion of BLC houses against total sanction under PMAY-U (Below 1 Lakh Population): Kailasahar, Tripura; Khowai, Tripura; Waraseoni, Madhya Pradesh.

The event featured videos on best practices related to Housing for All and announced the institutionalization of PMAY-U Awards to be held annually on World Habitat Day. Publications from HUDCO, NCHF, NHB, CGEWHO, and BMTPC were released, and prize distributions for painting competitions organized by NHB, HUDCO, and BMTPC for school children, including specially abled children, were held.

A mobile application and revamped websites for PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0 were launched to strengthen access to information and improve beneficiary experience. Three technical sessions were conducted:

1. Structural Challenges and Enabling Measures for Unlocking the Potential of Rental Housing: Focused on creating an enabling ecosystem for Affordable Rental Housing, including regulatory frameworks, land availability, investment mechanisms, and participation of public and private stakeholders to benefit urban migrants, workers, students, and vulnerable sections.

2. Regulatory Measures to Bridge the Demand–Supply Gap in Housing: Addressed the need for streamlined approvals, efficient land-use planning, enabling development regulations, and improved coordination to facilitate faster delivery of affordable housing.

3. Low-Cost Indigenous Technologies and Financing Instruments for Scaling Resilient and Affordable Housing: Emphasized the role of innovative, low-cost construction technologies combined with financing solutions to deliver safe, climate-resilient, and affordable homes at scale.

The sessions underscored the need for a coordinated approach involving government, states, UTs, urban local bodies, financial institutions, private sector, technology providers, academia, and other stakeholders to address India's evolving urban housing needs. The celebrations reaffirmed India's commitment to ensuring safe, affordable, and dignified housing for every urban household, contributing to an inclusive and Viksit Bharat.