Khattar pushes transit-oriented development model

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday called for the establishment of robust urban infrastructure through a transit-oriented development (TOD) model to make housing more accessible and sustainable.

Addressing a two-day international conference on “Evolving Landscape of Housing Finance” at Bharat Mandapam, the minister 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.

Khattar highlighted findings from a joint study conducted by NITI Aayog and the 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.

This demographic shift, he emphasised, will significantly increase the demand for affordable housing across the country.

Underscoring the urgency of preparing for this growth, he called for the development of robust urban infrastructure through a model for housing, and making housing more accessible and sustainable.

According to MoHUA, the two-day 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.