> Automatically verified official update: This page reproduces an official government communication from Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs without adding legal conclusions. Always follow the linked primary source where exact wording matters.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) celebrated World Habitat Day 2026 on the theme ‘Adequate Housing for All’ with a focus on strengthening the urban housing ecosystem through innovation, policy reforms, technology and sustainable financing.
The guest of honour for the event was 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 Ministry, Principal Secretaries from States and Union Territories and other stakeholders also attended the event, marked by participation of UN agencies, HUDCO, NHB among others.
The celebration provided a platform to highlight India’s continued efforts towards ensuring access to safe, affordable, inclusive and dignified housing, while recognising the contributions of States/UTs and other stakeholders towards achieving the objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) and PMAY-U 2.0.
The event showcased the progress and diverse approaches being adopted towards achieving the objective of “Housing for All”, including best practices under PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0. As part of the PMAY-U Awards 2026, Best Performing States/UTs under PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0 were felicitated, along with ULBs, partner agencies/stakeholders recognising their performance in implementing housing initiatives, including rental housing.
The list of Awards are:
S. N.
Awards
States/UT/ULB
State Level Awards
1.
State/UT with highest completion of BLC houses against total sanction under PMAY-U
State/UT with highest completion of BLC houses against total sanction under PMAY-U (North-Eastern, Hilly States and UTs)
2.
State/UT with highest completion of AHP houses against total sanction under PMAY-U
DNH & DD
3.
State/UT with highest number of groundings against total sanction of houses under PMAY-U 2.0
State/UT with highest number of groundings against total sanction of houses under PMAY-U 2.0 (North-Eastern, Hilly States and UTs)
Special Recognition Awards
1.
Best PLI Award for highest number of loans sanctioned under ISS
HDFC Bank
2.
Best Practice of Town Planning Scheme (TPS) procedure
Gujarat
3.
Best Practice of Shelter Fund practice
Tamil Nadu
4.
Best Practices of mandatorily land reservation for EWS/LIG in private colonies for AHP vertical
Chhattisgarh
5.
Fastest Completed ARH Project under PMAY-U 2.0 (Naidupetta, Tripati Urban Development Authority, Andhra Pradesh)
Premier Energy Global Environment Pvt. Ltd.
6.
Public Agency with highest number of houses completed and operational under ARHCs
Tamil Nadu/ SIPCOT (18,720 beds)
7.
Private Agency with highest number of houses completed and operational under ARHCs
SPR India Pvt. Ltd. (11,154 beds)
8.
Special recognition Award for highest percentage of houses sanctioned against target under PMAY-U 2.0 among Large States
Bihar
9.
State with Highest number of reforms achieved under PMAY-U 2.0
Gujarat
ULB Level Awards
1.
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 also featured videos on best practices related to Housing for All, providing an opportunity to showcase innovative approaches and experiences from across the country for their further replication by other States/UTs.
It was also announced that PMAY-U Awards are being institutionalised to recognise and celebrate exemplary contributions and achievements of States, UTs, ULBs and partner agencies/stakeholders under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban. Furthermore, the awards will be held every year on the occasion of World Habitat Day, highlighting innovative practices, effective implementation and outstanding efforts towards achieving the goal of ‘Housing for All’. This annual recognition will further encourage healthy competition, promote best practices and inspire stakeholders to strengthen the delivery of affordable and quality housing across the country.
The event was also marked by the release of publications of organisations under MoHUA, which included HUDCO, NCHF, NHB, CGEWHO, HUDCO and BMTPC. Apart from the release of publications, prize distribution ceremony for winners of painting competitions organised by NHB, HUDCO and BMTPC for school children, including specially abled children, in various competitions was organised to commemorate the event.
The event also featured the launch of a mobile application and revamped websites of PMAY-U and PMAY-U 2.0, aimed at strengthening access to information and improving the beneficiary experience through digital platforms.
The World Habitat Day event also provided a platform for wider deliberations on emerging urban housing challenges and possible solutions. Three different technical sessions, focussing on rental housing, regulatory frameworks and affordable housing technologies and financing, brought together stakeholders to discuss approaches for expanding access to adequate and affordable housing.
Technical Sessions to Deliberate on Emerging Urban Housing Challenges
It featured thematic technical sessions on topics such as rental housing, bridging the Demand–Supply Gap in housing and role of innovative construction technologies in affordable housing sector, bringing together policymakers, experts, financial institutions, industry stakeholders and other partners to deliberate on key challenges and opportunities for building a stronger and more sustainable housing ecosystem.
The technical deliberations focused on three areas:
The deliberations also explored measures to strengthen rental housing as a viable and dignified housing option for urban migrants, workers, students, working women and other mobile and vulnerable sections of the urban population.
The discussions emphasised the need to combine technological innovation with appropriate financing solutions to enable large-scale delivery of safe, climate-resilient and affordable homes.
The technical sessions underscored the need for a coordinated approach involving Government, States and UTs, Urban Local Bodies, financial institutions, private sector, technology providers, academia and other stakeholders to address the evolving housing needs of India’s rapidly urbanising population.
The World Habitat Day 2026 celebrations reaffirmed India’s commitment to ensuring that every urban household has access to safe, affordable and dignified housing, contributing to the broader vision of an inclusive and Viksit Bharat.
SK
Official source
[Read the original PIB release](https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2319398)
Source attribution: Press Information Bureau, Government of India.