Gujarat Declared 2025 as ‘Year of Urban Development’

Government of Gujarat has declared 2025 as the “Year of Urban Development” to accelerate the creation of world-class, inclusive, and sustainable urban infrastructure. The initiative focuses on transforming Gujarat’s cities through affordable housing, smart governance, infrastructure modernisation, and livelihood opportunities for the urban poor and middle-class families.

This declaration aligns with India’s broader goal of creating sustainable urban ecosystems under national missions such as PMAY (Urban), Smart Cities Mission, and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).

Vision and Objectives

• To provide “Housing for All” and ensure every poor and lower-middle-class urban family has a home.
• To promote planned urbanisation, enhance urban infrastructure, and improve quality of life.
• To integrate technological innovation and sustainability in housing and city management.
• To establish Gujarat as a national model for inclusive urban growth.

Significance of Declaring 2025 as ‘Year of Urban Development’

• Reinforces Gujarat’s position as a leader in urban transformation.
• Strengthens commitment to inclusive housing and sustainable growth.
• Promotes smart urban planning, digital governance, and green infrastructure.
• Supports Viksit Bharat@2047 goals by ensuring every citizen has access to safe, affordable, and modern living spaces.

Key Achievements: Gujarat’s Urban Transformation

Over 9.09 Lakh Houses Completed under PMAY (Urban)

• The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U), launched in 2015, has enabled Gujarat’s urban poor to realise their dream of owning a home.
• Over 9.09 lakh houses have been constructed in the state so far — a significant milestone in affordable urban housing.
• These houses cater to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Low-Income Groups (LIG), ensuring secure and dignified living spaces.

Gujarat Leads Nation in PMAY-U Implementation

• Gujarat has emerged as the top-performing state in implementing PMAY (Urban).
• Under the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) component, over 6 lakh beneficiaries have received interest subsidies on home loans, enabling easier home ownership.
• The state has efficiently utilised multiple PMAY components like BLC, AHP, CLSS, and ARHC, setting benchmarks for other states.

Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs)

• Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (2020), the ARHC scheme was launched to provide affordable rental housing for urban poor and migrant workers.
• Gujarat became the first state to receive project approval within 3 months by converting 393 SUDA-area houses in Surat into rental homes under Model-01.
• This model offers low-cost, secure accommodation for the floating urban workforce — a step toward equitable urbanisation.

Technological Innovation – Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)

• Rajkot was chosen as one of the six sites in India for the Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC).
• Under the India Light House Project, 1,144 EWS-2 type houses (carpet area: 39.77 sq.m each) were constructed using monolithic concrete technology — an example of speed, sustainability, and strength in housing innovation.
• The project demonstrates next-generation construction technologies that can be replicated across India.

Gujarat’s National Recognition

Gujarat’s consistent excellence has earned it 14 national awards under PMAY (Urban):

• 2017: 1st place in Credit Linked Subsidy category.
• 2019: Three awards, including Best House Construction (BLC) by three beneficiaries.
• 2022: Seven awards across various categories for innovative and large-scale implementation.

These recognitions affirm Gujarat’s leadership in affordable urban housing and policy execution.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) 2.0: 2024–2029

Building on the success of PMAY-U, the government launched PMAY (Urban) 2.0 – Housing for All Mission in September 2024.

Key Highlights:

• Target: 1 crore pucca houses across India by 2029.
• Components include:
  • AHP – Affordable Housing in Partnership
  • BLC – Beneficiary Led Construction
  • ISS – Interest Subsidy Scheme
  • ARH – Affordable Rental Housing
• In Gujarat, 29,821 houses have been sanctioned so far under PMAY-U 2.0.

Key Facts

Urbanisation in Gujarat

• Gujarat’s urban population: ~43% (Census 2011; expected to exceed 50% by 2030).
• Major cities: Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar.
• Gujarat is among India’s most urbanised states, contributing significantly to the country’s industrial GDP.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)

• Launch: 25 June 2015
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
• Aim: Provide pucca houses with basic amenities to all eligible urban poor by 2022 (extended for completion).
• Target beneficiaries: EWS, LIG, and MIG categories.
• Four verticals:
  1. In-situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR)
  2. Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS)
  3. Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP)
  4. Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC)

ARHC Scheme (Affordable Rental Housing Complexes)

• Launched: July 2020 under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
• Objective: Provide affordable rental homes to migrant workers and urban poor.
• Implemented via PPP model and public agency projects.

Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)

• Launched: 2019 by MoHUA.
• Aim: Mainstream innovative construction technologies for fast, safe, and sustainable housing delivery.
• Includes Light House Projects (LHPs) across 6 Indian cities (Rajkot, Lucknow, Indore, Chennai, Ranchi, Agartala).