In a significant step toward shaping India’s urban development landscape, UN-Habitat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha under the newly launched Atal Network for Knowledge, Urbanisation, and Reform (ANKUR) initiative.
Officially launched on 28 May 2025, ANKUR is a visionary platform designed to accelerate inclusive, sustainable, and innovation-led urban transformation, aligned with the goals of Viksit Odisha and Viksit Bharat @2047.
As a key knowledge partner, UN-Habitat will work closely with the Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD) of Odisha to embed evidence-based planning, support systemic reform, and scale innovative urban solutions across the state.
Focus Areas of Collaboration
UN-Habitat’s role will be instrumental in delivering targeted programming across ANKUR’s four pillars:
- Capacity Building
- Knowledge and Research
- Implementation Support
- Innovation
The partnership will build on and scale successful models, including:
- Urban RAASTA (Resilient and Accelerated Advancement with Sustainable and Transformative Actions) – a pioneering framework for climate-resilient urban planning.
- Young Gamechangers Initiative (YGI) – empowering urban youth with digital tools, participatory budgeting, and community co-design methods.
- Circular Economy for Plastic Waste – deploying frontier technologies to upcycle plastics and promote sustainability and livelihoods.
With Odisha’s urban population projected to triple by 2036, ANKUR aims to position the state as a national and global leader in inclusive and resilient urban development.
This partnership reaffirms UN-Habitat’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the transformative principle of Leaving No One and No Place Behind aligning with the New Urban Agenda. Read more: https://www.unhabitat.org.in/news-stories/pioneering-urban-futures-odisha-govt-and-un-habitat-unite-ankur
